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.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Giltwood
19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Mahogany
Late 19th Century Indonesian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century Belgian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Glass, Oak
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Tulipwood, Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 1800s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Steel
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
2010s British Louis XV Furniture
Gesso, Wood
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Iron, Brass, Bronze
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Alabaster, Bronze, Gold Leaf
20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cherry, Mahogany
1860s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Damask, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Beech
1750s German Antique Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Copper
1980s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Early 2000s French Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Tapestry, Upholstery, Velvet
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Beech
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Breccia Marble
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Bronze
1980s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Wood





