Gustavian Wall Decorations
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.
1920s Finnish Vintage Gustavian Wall Decorations
Cherry, Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Mirror, Pine, Giltwood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Glass, Giltwood, Mirror
1920s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Wall Decorations
Paper
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood, Pine
Late 20th Century Gustavian Wall Decorations
Composition
21st Century and Contemporary Gustavian Wall Decorations
Aluminum
Mid-20th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Decorations
Birch
21st Century and Contemporary North American Gustavian Wall Decorations
Aluminum
20th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Giltwood
Late 18th Century British Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Pine
1750s Norwegian Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Iron
1870s Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Oak
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Pine
19th Century English Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Gold Leaf
18th Century French Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Pine
1940s Swedish Vintage Gustavian Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Gustavian Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood, Oak
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
1890s Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Mirror, Wood, Giltwood
1940s French Vintage Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood
1780s Swedish Antique Gustavian Wall Decorations
Wood