Biedermeier Sofas
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier chairs, tables and other furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
1890s Danish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
1890s Norwegian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Early 1900s Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Late 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
1820s Czech Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Lacquer, Cherry, Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
1850s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Cherry
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Mahogany
1850s Belgian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Mahogany
1880s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut, Fabric
20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Sofas
Wood, Beech
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Silk, Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Cherry, Burl
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Bouclé, Beech, Walnut, Softwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Wood
Early 19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Wood, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut, Fabric
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Birch
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Spruce, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Cherry, Upholstery
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Pearwood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Velvet, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Oak
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Ash, Lacquer
1830s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Walnut
1820s Czech Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Cherry, Lacquer
20th Century French Biedermeier Sofas
Mahogany
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Silk, Upholstery, Maple
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Mahogany
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Upholstery, Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofas
Walnut, Fabric, Upholstery, Spruce
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Biedermeier Sofas
Wood