Biedermeier Sofa Tables
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.
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cherry
20th Century Italian Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birdseye Maple, Maple, Burl
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Spruce, Cherry
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch, Pine, Lacquer
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Ormolu
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cherry
1970s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Ceramic, Teak
1920s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Metal
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cherry, Cedar
Early 19th Century Japanese Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cedar
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cherry
Mid-20th Century Japanese Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood, Cedar
20th Century Japanese Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Bentwood, Burl
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Walnut, Spruce
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Spruce, Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Brass
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birdseye Maple
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
1860s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
1830s English Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Mahogany
20th Century American Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Wood, Rosewood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Elm
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Sofa Tables
Cherry