Gustavian Farm Tables
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.
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood, Oak, Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Metal, Wrought Iron
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Paint, Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Farm Tables
Maple, Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Farm Tables
Maple, Poplar
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Farm Tables
Maple, Poplar
2010s American Gustavian Farm Tables
Birch
1790s Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
19th Century English Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
1870s French Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Mahogany
18th Century French Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
1890s French Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Iron
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Farm Tables
Beech
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
18th Century French Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Cherry, Oak
19th Century English Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Oak
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Farm Tables
Poplar, Oak
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood, Paint
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Paint
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Gustavian Farm Tables
Maple, Poplar
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Pine
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Farm Tables
Brass
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Gustavian Farm Tables
Wood