With clean lines and muted colors, antique Gustavian furniture is understated and elegant. It represents a more restrained version of the transition from Rococo to neoclassicism that was happening in France under Louis XVI. The style developed under Swedish King Gustav III, who reigned from 1771 until his assassination in 1792, and his son Gustav IV, who ruled until 1809. Although Gustavian furniture is mostly used to refer to pale painted cabinets, commodes, armchairs and other items, it involved a range of influences.
Gustavian-style furniture was inspired by discoveries at Pompeii and Herculaneum as well as the grandeur of European palaces like Versailles, with local softwoods such as pine and birch. There was also an emphasis on natural light; crystal chandeliers and large mirrors played a role in radiating the fleeting daylight of winter, giving it a distinctive aesthetic.
Where earlier furniture was curvy and florid, this new era was more architectural, with tapered and fluted legs and rectangular and oval shapes. Luminous gilt contrasted with the palette of soft blues on upholstery and painted surfaces. Leading furniture builders included Gottlieb Iwersson, Louis Masreliez and Erik Öhrmark. The latter, a French-born Swedish decorator, designed the Sulla chair, a seat that was demonstrative of technical skill and precise craftsmanship and drew on Greek klismos chairs. Masreliez’s Sulla chair was made by Öhrmark and featured decorative ornamentation produced by Jean-Baptiste Masreliez, Louis’s younger brother.
While the wealthy had furniture carved with neoclassical details like scallops and rosettes, more affordable options were adorned with faux finishes that mimicked marble and stenciled patterns. The simple elegance of Gustavian furniture would have a long impact on Swedish design, informing the 20th-century appreciation for function and form. In the 1950s, IKEA mass-produced copies of a Gustavian commode designed by cabinetmaker Georg Haupt, who created pieces for the Royal Palace, making the furniture a fixture of everyday Swedish life.
Find a collection of antique Gustavian seating, tables, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Hanging Cupboard, Glass & Wood, Painted
Located in Atlanta, GA
A striking 18th-century Swedish Gustavian hanging cupboard, distinguished by its elegant arched bonnet and beautifully balanced paneled glass doors. The dark painted exterior lends t...
Glass, Wood
Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirror, Hand-Carved Pinewood, c. 1770
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 18th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian wall mirror made of hand crafted Pinewood with its original mirrored glass, in good condit...
Pine
Gustavian, 18th Century Plate Rack with Original Rosemåling Painting
Located in New York, NY
Gustavian Swedish 18th century plate rack with original gorgeous rosemåling painting, circa 1800, origin: Northern Sweden.
Wood
Custom Framed Antique Swedish Herbariums, Set of 2
Located in Pearland, TX
Beautiful custom framed Swedish antique herbarium floral specimens, collected 1912. Handwritten names in lovely Latin script. Specimens include purple orchid and wild pansy/Johnny Ju...
Wood, Paper
Swedish 19th Century Pine Wall Mounted Corner Cabinet
Located in Baton Rouge, LA
Swedish, 19th century corner cabinet with the most incredible carvings and lively blue interior that belies the humble pine construction. The quarter-round shape of the cabinet tucks...
Brass, Iron
Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirrors with Gilded Wood, Circa 1800
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian pair of wall mirrors made of hand crafted gilded wood with its original mirrored glass, in good condition. The Scandinavian wall décor...
Glass, Giltwood, Mirror
$15,120Sale Price|20% Off
Antique Swedish Gustavian Wall Mirror, Gilded Pine, Circa 1790-1820
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 18th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian rectangular wall mirror with its original mirrored glass and blue color paint, made of hand crafted gilded Pinewood, in good condition....
Mirror, Pine, Giltwood
Pair of Architectural Hand-Painted Wall Shelves Brackets
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Gorgeous Pair of Acanthus Leaf Wall Shelves Hand-Carved and Hand-Painted in a Gustavian shade of gray blue. This set could certainly stand alone as a pair on a wall or functional to ...
Wood, Paint
Antique White Painted Wood Wall Brackets - A Pair
Located in New York, NY
Pair of antique decorative wood brackets, hand-painted white. Carved acanthus leaves decorate the front crest, while a floral border decorates the shelf base. The brackets have accru...
Wood
White-Painted Wood Wall Shelves With Serpentine Brackets - A Pair
Located in New York, NY
Pair of white-painted wall shelves, each with a small, single drawer. Structurally, the shelf has an elegant, bowed front with beveled edges at the top and bottom. The serpentine bra...
Gesso, Wood
C1800s naive Swedish oil painting of a castle & lake scene
Located in London, GB
Charming naive/folk early 1800s Swedish framed oil painting of a castle viewed from across a lake where figures are boating and fishing. The canvas has been laid on board and later f...
Canvas
Pair of Gustavian Style Lacquered Wall Brackets, Late 20th Century
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of Gustavian Style Lacquered Wall Brackets, Late 20th Century A decorative pair of Gustavian-style wall brackets or console shelves, dating to the later 20th century. Cast in r...
Resin
C19th pair of Swedish Empire flower sketches with giltwood frames
Located in London, GB
A delightful pair of Swedish flower sketches in pencil by fifteen year old Margaret Throne dated 1819. In classic gilt wood frames they are beautifully drawn and observed for someone...
Paper
$900 / set
Swedish Monarchs - Set of 4 Lithographs
Located in Savannah, GA
A set of 4 lithographs depicting the Swedish Monarchs, Erik XIV, Christina, Carl XIII and Oscar I, circa 1900. sight: 6 ½ by 10 ¼ inches frame: 8 ⅜ by 12 inches
Glass, Wood, Paper
Set of 6 1940s Dutch Herbarium or Botanicals
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Set of 6 Dutch framed herbariums dating from the 1940's. They are framed in an A3 frame with A4 mount. These are a sample of what we have to offer. W...
Plastic
German Framed Herbarium
Located in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire
Rare 1940s German pressed botanical specimens from a collection in Stuttgart. The specimen is hand-picked and pressed, and each is labelled with the plant's family name, German name,...
Glass, Paper
$1,392
H 20.08 in W 15.75 in D 8.47 in
Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Wall Cabinet / Small Cabinet Carved Oak
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Lovely antique 19th century Neoclassical wall cabinet / small cabinet Germany 1880. This German Grunderzeit cabinet is made from hand carved oak & is richly decorated. A true display of craftsmanship & quality. This cabinet has 2 doors and comes with a working lock & key. Its interior has 2 oak shelves. The cabinet has a very nice old restoration to the right side dating from the 1940s. A piece of furniture history with the right antique charm...
Brass
$1,702Sale Price|44% Off
H 11.82 in W 11.03 in D 9.85 in
18th Century French Gilt Wood Sculptured Wall-Consoles
Located in Sofia, BG
18th century wall suspended consoles from France. Beautifully constructed in gilt wood and ornamented with a Rococo influence. The quality of th...
Giltwood
$1,523
H 29.53 in W 20.08 in D 9.85 in
Antique Swedish Empire Wall Cabinet 19th Century Walnut Gilt Bronze Hanging
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Gorgeous & stylish Swedish wall cabinet in Empire style 19th century. with carvings in walnut & gilt bronze decorations Really nice solid wood quality with hand carved decorations. ...
Bronze
18th Century European Carved Pine Trunk
Located in San Francisco, CA
18th century European carved pine trunk Brilliant antique trunk / blanket chest from Europe. This can also be used as a toy chest, games chest, linen chest, etc. The chest meas...
Pine
$1,523
H 22.45 in W 13 in D 6.3 in
Antique French Renaissance Revival Richly Carved Wall Cabinet 19th Century Brass
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Luxurious & romantic French Renaissance revival Wall cabinet / small cabinet , richly carved & decorated with brass. Very nice craftsmanship with impressive carvings. When opened...
Brass
19th Century Mahogany Corner Bracket with Inlaid Vignettes
Located in Long Island City, NY
19th century mahogany corner bracket with inlaid vignettes. The vignettes depict a woman and a man fishing.
Pair of Framed Antique Intaglios
Located in East Hampton, NY
Pair of Antique intaglios newly framed on camouflage burlap.
Burlap, Glass, Plaster, Wood
Pair 19th Century Japanese Wall Shelves
Located in Houston, TX
Late 19th Century Japanese carved wood wall shelves with inlay and painted foliage motifs.
Wood
$1,670
H 23.63 in W 39.38 in D 10.63 in
Mid-Century Modern Charlotte Perriand Pine Hanging Cupboard for Les Arcs, France
By Les Arcs, Charlotte Perriand
Located in Almelo, NL
Mid-Century Modern Charlotte Perriand Pine Hanging Cupboard for Les Arcs, France, 1960s This rare and authentic pine hanging cupboard was designed by renowned architect and designer...
Pine
$1,200 / set
H 9.06 in W 9.45 in D 1.58 in
A set of 8 Framed Antique Ottoman Embroidery Fragments, 19th C.
Located in Istanbul, TR
A Set of 8 framed embroidery fragments. First the fragments are hand backed on linen and strutted on wooden stretchers and finish with wooden frames.
Silk
18th Century Swedish Gustavian Hanging Cupboard
Located in Atlanta, GA
A charming Swedish Gustavian hanging cupboard from the 18th century, retaining its original blue-gray painted surface with exceptional age, patina, and hand-painted folk details. The...
Pine
Sold
H 36 in W 40.25 in D 14.25 in
A period gustavian wall cabinet with glossed doors scraped to original paint
Located in Atlanta, GA
An authentic Gustavian period wall cabinet from Sweden, late 18th century, retaining its remarkable original surface and timeworn patina. The cabinet features a simple rectangular form with two glazed doors, each framed with wooden mullions that divide the glass into panels, creating a refined balance of proportion and symmetry. The paint has been carefully scraped back to its original layers both inside and out, revealing a soft, warm ochre tone with subtle variations that speak to centuries of age and use. The interior provides practical storage while maintaining the cabinet’s understated neoclassical elegance, typical of the Gustavian era. With its versatile scale, this piece may be mounted on a wall or used as a countertop cabinet...
Glass, Wood
Sold
H 30 in W 39 in D 3 in
Antique Henry Dezire French Impressionist Oil Painting Still Life Vase of Flower
Located in LOS ANGELES, CA
Antique Henry Dezire French Impressionist Oil Painting Still Life Vase of Flowers c.1929
Canvas
Swedish Gustavian Period 1790s Blue Painted Wall Hanging Corner Cabinet
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian period painted wood wall hanging corner cabinet from the late 18th century, with blue paint, single door and weathered appearance. Created in Sweden during the la...
Wood
Pair of Swedish 19th Century Watercolors in Pompeian style.
Located in Stockholm, SE
A pair of Swedish watercolors from the late gustavian or early empire period painted in neoclassical or pompeian style. Period and probably original frames. The watercolors have been...
Paper
Swedish Gustavian Round White Painted Side Table, circa 1910
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely round Swedish Gustavian side table with carved dentil molding and tapered fluted legs topped by carved floral accents. Newer, professionally applied layered white painted fin...
Wood, Paint
Sold
H 5.91 in W 4.93 in D 0.99 in
Gustavian Plaque of the Swedish King Gustaf III from Late 18th Century
Located in Knivsta, SE
Gustavian Plaque of the Swedish King Gustaf III, from late 18th century. Made in brass and with a mahogany ( Swietenia Mahogoni) frame. Depicts one of the f...
Brass
19th Century Swedish Plate Rack
Located in Allerum, SE
19th century Swedish provincial pine wall plate rack with three drawers in Its original finish with retouches. ca 1820 Sweden.
Pine
"Peace of Mind" by Sam Uhrdin
Located in Wiscasset, ME
Oil on canvas, signed and dated in the lower left and inscribed on the reverse with title Kvallsro, which roughly translated from Swedish means 'Peace of Mind.' The work has a very lovely warm feel to it with the light from the hearth. The painting measures 38.5" x 45.5" including the frame. Sam Uhrdin...
Paint
Sold
H 69 in W 65 in D 20.5 in
Italian Painted Wall Cabinet, Vitrine or Shelving Unit, 19th Century, Gustavian
Located in Stamford, CT
A 19th/20th Century Italian painted wall cabinet, hanging vitrine or shelving unit. A finely painted wall cabinet or hanging vitrine....
Glass, Wood
Sold
H 26.78 in W 33.86 in D 16.54 in
19th Century Swedish Pale Grey Oak Wall Mounted Console Tables or Brackets
Located in Firenze, IT
This stylish pair of late 19th century swedish pale grey oak wall mounted console tables with a chic grayish lacquer hand painted finish feature an architectural and geometrical shap...
Wood, Oak
Sold
H 24.75 in W 13.25 in D 1.25 in
19th Century Swedish Gustavian Gilded Pine Wall Glass Mirror by JP Larsson
By JP Larsson
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian wall mirror made of hand carved gilded Pinewood with its original mirrored glass, in good condition. Th...
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood, Pine