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.
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Maple
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch, Ebony
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Cherry, Softwood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Softwood, Mahogany
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
1810s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
1820s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Mahogany, Lacquer
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Lacquer, Mahogany
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Lacquer, Upholstery, Cherry
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Fruitwood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fruitwood, Glass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Oak
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Giltwood
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cherry
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Lacquer, Ash





