Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood, Rosewood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Faience
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
18th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Metal
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 18th Century European Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Burl
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Bronze, Wire
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1970s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Wood
1780s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble, Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Granite, Bronze
1940s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
Late 20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Louis XV Furniture
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
1950s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Beech
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gesso
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Wrought Iron
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Ceramic
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Upholstery, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
18th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood