Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
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.
19th Century French Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Pine
Early 20th Century Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Cane, Hardwood, Paint
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1990s Italian Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Limestone
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Concrete
1960s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1950s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Concrete
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1950s Spanish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1960s Italian Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
Late 20th Century Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Composition
19th Century American Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Giltwood
Mid-18th Century Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Brass, Copper
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood, Paint
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Iron
19th Century French Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Cane, Wood
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood, Cane
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Stone
Early 20th Century French Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Stone
Mid-20th Century French Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood, Teak
1970s American Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
19th Century Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Iron
17th Century French Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Iron
20th Century Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Cement
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Iron
18th Century Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Terracotta
1960s American Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Aluminum
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
20th Century Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Cement
Early 20th Century English Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Brass
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Concrete
19th Century English Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Paint, Wood
1950s Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Cast Stone
21st Century and Contemporary Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Metal
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Pine
1930s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Metal
Mid-19th Century European Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Zinc
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Pine
Mid-20th Century Unknown Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Teak
Early 20th Century Unknown Gustavian Building and Garden Elements
Wood