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, Oak
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash, Fruitwood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Glass
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Beech
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Paper
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry, Giltwood
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold
20th Century Dutch Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Sterling Silver
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birch
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Ash
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Beech
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Canvas
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Gold Leaf
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Cherry
20th Century French Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Mahogany
20th Century German Biedermeier Furniture
Maple
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Birdseye Maple
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Wood, Beech, Birdseye Maple, Pine
1830s Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Fabric, Cherry
Early 19th Century Czech Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Lacquer, Ash
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Bronze
20th Century Biedermeier Furniture
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Furniture
Walnut





