Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Satin, Cotton
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Stone
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Enamel, Ormolu
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XV Furniture
Rock Crystal, Bronze, Gold
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-20th Century Belgian Louis XV Furniture
Oak
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1820s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wire
1990s Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Gold Leaf
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1880s Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Wire, Bronze
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Walnut
1920s English Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry, Walnut





