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Gustavian Furniture

GUSTAVIAN STYLE

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.

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Style: Gustavian
Place of Origin: Swedish
19th Century Swedish Gustavian White Backless Bench Settee
Located in Round Top, TX
This backless sofa or settee is from the Swedish Gustavian period with carved details and fluted tapered feet. Please enlarge and examine the close up photos to appreciate the carved...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Paint

19th Century White Painted Swedish Gustavian Bookcase Display Cabinet
Located in Round Top, TX
Lovely Gustavian display cabinet with upper pane glass doors. Traditional carved diamonds, dentil molding, and additional carving add to the timeless...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Glass, Oak, Pine, Paint

20th Century Black Painted Display Bookcase Glazed Cabinet
Located in Kvidinge, SE
A gorgeous Bookcase Display with two glazed cabinet doors Painted and refinished in a black with a delicate hint of red under and distress for an authentic antique feel The inside i...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass

Swedish Gustavian Style Mirror with Garland Motif, circa 1920
Located in Atlanta, GA
A finely detailed Swedish mirror in the Gustavian style, circa 1920. The rectangular frame is crowned with an elegant frieze featuring a carved garland and leaf motif, painted in del...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Wood

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Gilded Pine Wall Glass Mirror, Scandinavian Decor
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian lunette-shaped crown wall mirror made of handcrafted gilded Pinewood with its original mirrored glass, in good condition. The particularized carved Scandinavian bronze...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Pine, Giltwood

Gustavian Style Console Table With A Drawer
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a single drawer Gustavian Style console table. Its been restored and repainted with Milk Paints "Oyster White"
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofa
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
An early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian sofa or bench in old paint. Recently upholstered seat and bolster cushions in linen. Circa 1810.
Category

1810s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Set of Twelve Louis XVI Gustavian Style Painted Dining Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Glorious set of twelve Swedish dining chairs crafted in the Louis XVI Gustavian taste. The chairs feature beech frames that have been painted or glazed with an intentionally distressed and faded patina to mimic age. The grey painted frames have a sculptural flared back ending with a scroll. The generous seats have carved rosettes on the front apron corners and decorative red accents throughout the frames. The seats are supported by fluted, tapered legs. The chairs have been recently reupholstered in a neutral muslin style fabric. The chairs are sturdy and strong with excellent joinery and craftsmanship. Sold as a set of twelve chairs. Erin Lane Estate...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Beech

Swedish Gustavian Dressing Mirror
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a unique Swedsh Gustavian style full length dressing mirror.
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Wood

19th Century Gustavian Drop Leaf Table
Located in Allerum, SE
19th century provincial drop leaf table from the Gustavian period in it's original finish with great patination. Seats six people, ca 1800 Sweden.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Large Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Buffet in Original Paint
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
Large late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian buffet in original paint. With a galleried top, below two drawers, further below two doors. With decorative reeded diamonds, opening to usef...
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Swedish Gustavian Style Mirror in Light Sand Patina, circa 1920
Located in Atlanta, GA
A fine Swedish mirror in the Gustavian style, dating to approximately 1920. The rectangular frame is delicately carved with understated floral and foliate motifs, reflecting the grac...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Wood

Antique Display Cabinet, Gustavian Style, Sweden, C. 1840
Located in Kastrup, DK
Display cabinet in two parts. Upper part with pair of slatted glass doors with inside Pompeii red color. Below top list with tooth cut. Lower part drawer with diamond-shaped fillin...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Glass, Pine

On Hold - Pair of 18th Century Gustavian Side Chairs with Original Paint from Li
Located in Atlanta, GA
A rare and refined pair of period Gustavian side chairs from Lindome, Sweden, dating to the late 18th century. These chairs exemplify the graceful restraint of the Gustavian style, w...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Pair of Antique Scandinavian Pine Bed Side Tables
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A late 19th Century, antique Swedish Gustavian pair of bed side tables made of hand crafted painted Pinewood, in good condition. Each of the detailed Scandinavian nightstands are composed with two drawers, consisting their original hardware and keys, standing on four square-pointed wooden legs. The small commodes...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Metal

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Side Table Dry Scraped to Original Paint
Located in Tetbury, Gloucestershire
19th Century Swedish Gustavian side table, dry scraped to original paint. With large deep storage drawer and decorative reeded diamond design. Circa 1840.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Swedish Gustavian Period 1790s Painted Slant Front Secretary with Three Drawers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian period painted wood secretary from the late 18th century, with slant front desk, multiple drawers, dark painted interior, three drawers in the façade and rustic c...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass

Exquisite Swedish 19th Century Clock with Carved Crest and Volutes on the Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
An exquisite Swedish 19th century floor clock with carved crest topped with a ball. This clock retains it's original metal face, hands and movement. This Swedish clock has very sub...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Glass, Wood

19th Century Swedish Gustavian Tall Case Antique Secretaire or Desk
Located in New Orleans, LA
A stately Gustavian tall case secretary featuring a refined, neoclassical silhouette with paneled doors, drop down writing space with six drawers. The piece has a soft, muted painted...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Gustavian Tallcase Clock
Located in Greenwich, CT
An elegant tall-case Gustavian clock having an imposing bonnet with an three-finial arched cornice on a sinuous bombe body with shaped door and narrow waist over a curved plinth, all...
Category

Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Mora Clock
Located in Crowthorne, Surrey
Swedish Mora clock from the second half of the 20th Century. Working Longcase clock mechanism of pendulum and 2 weights and a bell chime on the hour. Width: 60cm / 23.6" Depth: 15cm...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

18th/19th Century Swedish Gustavian Period Painted Pine Kitchen Cupboard
Located in Forney, TX
A classic Gustavian Period (1772-1809) Swedish painted pine two door kitchen cupboard sideboard. Handcrafted in Sweden around the turn of the late 18t...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine, Paint

18th c. Swedish Gustavian Period Demilune Buffet in Original Paint
Located in Wichita, KS
A rare Swedish buffet from the Gustavian period with demilune sides and original paint inside and outside, circa 1780. This special piece came from a manor house in Uppland, Sweden. ...
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paint

19th Century Gustavian Swedish Chest of Drawers
Located in Kvidinge, SE
An Swedish Chest of Drawers from early 19th century painted in a soft red / orange color and the top is black, everything has an distress surface for an authentic antique feel. The ...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass

18th Century Swedish Gustavian Pinewood Wall Glass Mirror - Scandinavian Décor
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...
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

20th Century Swedish Linen Press
Located in Atlanta, GA
This 20th-century Swedish linen press exemplifies the charm and functionality of Gustavian-inspired furniture. Crafted from solid wood, it features clean, geometric lines with hand-c...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass

Pair of 18th Century Gustavian Bronze Candlesticks with Egyptian Female Figures
Located in Kastrup, DK
Pair of Gustavian bronze candlesticks featuring stems in the form of a standing Egyptian woman with crossed arms. The candleholders are adorned with intricate ciselé work. Displays a...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Bronze

1918 Swedish Grace Period Inlaid Neoclassical Cabinet A. B. Nordiska Kompaniet
Located in Forest Grove, PA
This early cabinet is by A. B. Nordiska Kompaniet attributed to Carl Bergsten, 1918. Figural birch with inlay. The door opening is 12.5" wide and 21.2" high. Swedish Grace: elegant ...
Category

1910s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Birch

19th-20th Century Grey Swedish Gustavian Antique Tile Top Pine Sideboard, Table
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A light-grey, white antique Swedish Gustavian tile top console table with original blue tiles and two drawers. The sideboard is made of hand cra...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Metal, Brass

19th Century Swedish 19th Century Sideboard Circa 1870
Located in Atlanta, GA
This 19th-century Swedish sideboard, circa 1870, is a beautiful example of Gustavian design, showcasing its characteristic elegance and functionality. Crafted from solid pine wood, t...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine, Paint

Swedish Gustavian Painted Chest of Drawers Pair Commode Grey White C.1860 Carved
Located in Lewes, England
Circa 1850 antique Swedish Gustavian Grey White painted chest of drawers commode in gustavian style with classic Gustavian carved detail on the drawer fronts and leading edges. T...
Category

Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

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.
Category

18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Swedish Gustavian Style Display Case
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a unique 2 glass door top, 2 door bottom Swediish Gustavian style display case. the Bottom cabinet is circa 1950, the upper cabinet is New made using 150 year old Antique windows...
Category

1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Pair of Swedish Gustavian Style Painted Pine Demilune Consoles
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Dreamy pair of late 19th/early 20th century Swedish painted pine demilune console tables or round center table. Crafted in the Gustavian taste with whimsical carved rings on the legs...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Set of Twelve 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Chairs includes 2 Armchairs
Located in Dallas, TX
Set of Twelve 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Dining Chairs includes 2 Armchairs were built to grace an elegant mansion in Sweden, now ready to add style, flair and timeless elegance ...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mohair, Elm

Swedish Gustavian Flower Trough with Zinc Insert, circa 1900
Located in Atlanta, GA
Exceptional Swedish flower trough in the Gustavian style, circa 1900, featuring original zinc liner and finely carved neoclassical details. The rectangular form rests on tapered, flu...
Category

20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Pine

Pair of Late18th century Swedish Period Gustavian Chairs The Swedish Model"
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of late 18th century Swedish period Gustavian chairs with hand scraped to its most original finish. This type of chair is called the Swedish model, oval back frame with carved r...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Fabric, Wood, Paint

19th Century Gustavian Console Table
Located in Allerum, SE
19th century Swedish Gustavian console table in Egyptian taste with Porphyry marble top. ca 1810 Sweden.
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Porphyry

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Tabouret-Stool
Located in New Orleans, LA
A charming 19th century Swedish footstool with simple neoclassical lines, tapered legs, and worn painted finish—offering a subtle elegance and utility rooted in Scandinavian craftsm...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Upholstery

Exceptional 19th Century Gustavian Chest of Drawers
Located in Allerum, SE
Exceptional early 19th century Gustavian chest of drawers veneered with amaranth, birch, jacaranda and maple. Limestone top, gilt brass fittings, à la greque upper case and sides, fr...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass

Stockholm, Gustavian Style Armchair
Located in Allerum, SE
Limited edition reproductions by D. Larsson, inspired by the finest 18th - 19th-century Swedish furniture. STOCKHOLM, This Gustavian style armchair...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Beech

Stockholm, Gustavian Style Armchair
Stockholm, Gustavian Style Armchair
$2,240 Sale Price
20% Off
Armchair Swedish Gustavian 1775-1790 White Washed, Sweden
Located in New York, NY
Armchair Swedish Gustavian 1775-1790 white washed, Sweden. An armchair made during the early part of the Gustavian period circa 1775-1790. A rounded open back...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

19th Century Swedish Late Gustavian Chest on Chest
Located in Huntington, NY
An unusual Swedish Late Gustavian Chest on Chest featuring a dentil frieze top border with triple fluted canted front corners. Upper chest has two medium drawers over one large drawe...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Iron

Pair of Swedish Gustavian Gueridon Wood Side Lamp Tables
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish Pair of Gustavian Painted Side Lamp Tables A fantastic pair of painted wood side tables from the early 19th Century, with sc...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paint

Sideboard Swedish Gustavianj Style
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Swedish Gustavian Sideboard, its been restored and repainted with Milk Paints "Oyster White"
Category

Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Swedish Gustavian Mora Clock in Original Green Orange Colors, Early 19th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish antique mora clock dating from early/ 1800s featuring green paint with orange details that is painted on the body. The clockwork is sold 'as is' and should be considered as...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Swedish Gustavian Style 1900s Painted Three-Drawer Chest with Diamond Motifs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A Swedish Gustavian style painted wood chest from the early 20th century with three drawers, carved diamond motifs, fluted side posts, carved rosettes and tapered feet. Created in Sw...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

18th Century Swedish Gustavian Fall Front Desk
Located in Huntington, NY
A two part Swedish Gustavian fall front desk. Upper section top opens to an ample work surface, eleven drawers with brass pulls and four storage cubbies. The lower section has three ...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Brass, Iron

19th Century Antique Gustavian Chest of Drawers Chest on Chest Dated 1829
Located in Boden, SE
A magnificent beautiful big Chest of Drawers "Chest on Chest." Swedish early 19th century untouched original painted pine chest of drawers dated...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

18th Century Gustavian Swedish Wood Side Table
Located in New York, NY
Late 18th Century Gustavian Era Swedish Wood Side Table. Crafted in solid wood that has patinated nicely into a blue-gray over time. Side table...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Pair of 19th Century Swedish Late Gustavian Demilune Tables with Leaf
Located in Huntington, NY
A pair of Swedish Gustavian demilune tables featuring decorative hand carved Guilloché scrolling. Rosettes sit atop hand carved tapered legs. This piece has been tastefully hand pain...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Paint

Gustavian Bucket chair, made in Stockholm
Located in SE
A Swedish Gustavian Bucket Chair. Made in Stockholm about 1790. Decorated with beautiful lion heads at the armrest and leaf shaped border. The legs are elegantly carved. Gently hand ...
Category

1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood, Birch

Swedish Gustavian Berger
Located in Hollywood, FL
This is a Beautiful Swedish Gustavian Berger, its been restored and repainted with Milk Paints "Oyster White" ALL seating is new and covered in Muslin.
Category

1880s Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

A Swedish 19th C. Long-Case or Floor Clock w/ Beautifully Exaggerated Crown
Located in Atlanta, GA
A 19th century Northern Swedish painted wood clock. This Swedish clock from Norrbotten County, Sweden (Northern region) features a nicely carved, exaggerated and raised crest adorned...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Glass, Wood

19th century swedish genuine rustic country Gustavian table with a drawer
Located in Boden, SE
The rustic, worn Gustavian square table from a farm in Västerbotten in Skellefteå is truly a gem. Its square shape and the shelf underneath give it a practical yet charming touch. It...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

Antique Northern Swedish Classic Gustavian Chest of Drawers
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique chest of drawers or commode from northern Sweden made in a classic straight gustavian shape from the late 1700s. The chest is a genuine Swedish antique made by hand in pine a...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

18th - 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Gilded Pinewood Wall Glass Mirror
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
A gold, antique Swedish Gustavian wall mirror made of hand crafted gilded Pinewood with its original two-part mirrored glass, in good condition. The particularized carved Scandinavia...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Mirror, Pine, Giltwood

19th Century Swedish Miniature Chest of Drawers with original paint Country
Located in Boden, SE
Original painted Scandinavian miniature chest of drawers from Luleå Norrbotten ,Northern Sweden This small miniature Gustavian 4 drawer dresser can be perfect as a storage of small ...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

19th Century Gustavian Column Cabinet
Located in Boden, SE
Exceptional Gustavian 19th century column cabinet from Burträsk Vasterbotten, North of Sweden. The cabinet is a very unusual piece of furniture. Its shaped lika a pillar with a door...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Pine

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...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Furniture

Materials

Wood

Gustavian furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Gustavian furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include case pieces and storage cabinets, seating, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, softwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Gustavian furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Ephraim Stahl, Hendrix Allardyce, Hans-Agne Jakobsson, and Jonas Frisk. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $50 and tops out at $49,500 while the average work can sell for $4,473.

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