Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mid-19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Pine
1830s Scandinavian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Birch
1820s Scandinavian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Mahogany
1890s Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
1820s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Late 18th Century Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Mid-19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mohair, Upholstery, Maple
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
1860s Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
Early 19th Century Danish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Mahogany
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Cherry
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Satinwood
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
1820s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut, Upholstery
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
1830s German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century European Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 1900s German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Ebony
1860s Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood, Birch
1890s Scandinavian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
1860s German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fruitwood
19th Century Norwegian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
19th Century French Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century European Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Cherry
19th Century Danish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Muslin, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Early 19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Spruce, Cherry
Mid-19th Century German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
1820s German Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Fruitwood, Down
19th Century Swedish Karl Johan Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Birch
Early 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Fruitwood, Down
Mid-19th Century Danish Biedermeier Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
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Antique Biedermeier Sofas For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Antique Biedermeier Sofas?
A Close Look at Biedermeier Furniture
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
Finding the Right Seating for You
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.