Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
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.
1930s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1930s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1930s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1850s Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Walnut
1830s Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Walnut
1990s American Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Maple, Fabric
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Mahogany
1930s Danish Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Cotton, Mahogany
1950s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Wood, Velvet
1950s American Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Wool, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Metal, Chrome
1970s Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Chrome
1960s American Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s British Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Mohair, Oak
1970s American Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Chrome
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Polish Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Textile, Beech
Early 20th Century Danish Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Velvet, Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Bouclé, Walnut
1910s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Mahogany
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Brass
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Lounge Chairs
Wood