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.
18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1840s Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Mirror
1760s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
19th Century English Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Metal, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
1910s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century American Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century Chinese Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze, Ormolu
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Tapestry, Giltwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Gold, Bronze, Nickel
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Ormolu
1760s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Siena Marble
19th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Swiss Louis XV Furniture
Silver Leaf
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf