Louis XV Furniture
The style of 18th-century French furniture was guided by the court. When Louis XV, who reigned from 1715–74, focused royal life on the smaller salons of Versailles rather than its grand chambers, it transformed the aesthetics away from the imposing and angular furniture that characterized the style of Louis XIV. A broader focus on comfort and more delicate forms define antique Louis XV furniture, with nature-inspired carvings, wood inlays, curved cabriole legs, asymmetrical shapes and rounded oval seat backs. The furnishings changed throughout the king’s life, as he ascended to the throne as a child and then grew to establish his own tastes.
Pieces like the bergère, an upholstered armchair with a wide cushion that fit the flowing dresses in fashion at the time, reflected this more informal court. Introduced at the start of Louis XV’s reign, bergère chairs in this style were deeper and broader than other chairs of the period.
Louis XV tapestries and carpets tended to be floral and colorful, and design elements were borrowed from Asia. Dutch-born cabinetmaker Bernard van Risenburgh brought lacquer techniques influenced by Japan and China into his luxuriously made furniture. Along with its fine details, the furniture of the era also featured new innovations including mechanical devices. Jean François Oeben, a royal cabinetmaker, created such intricate pieces as a mechanical table for Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV’s mistress. It involved a sliding top and a writing surface that extended from its marquetry panels.
During the later years of Louis XV’s reign, there was a shift from the ostentatious rocaille style, part of the exuberantly decorative Rococo movement in Europe for which designers such as Nicolas Pineau and Juste-Aurèle Meissonier are known. The style under Louis XVI would return to boxier forms, but with a neoclassical touch inspired by the ancient world.
Find antique Louis XV bedroom furniture, seating, tables and decorative objects on 1stDibs.
1970s North American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Silver Plate
1990s American Louis XV Furniture
Mahogany
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1970s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century European Louis XV Furniture
Beech
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Metal, Brass
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1990s European Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Grasscloth, Beech
1980s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Brass
1990s North American Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Zinc
1970s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
1990s Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1990s American Louis XV Furniture
Wire
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Spanish Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
1980s Unknown Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Walnut
1980s German Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Porcelain
1970s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Cotton, Upholstery, Wood
1970s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Mahogany, Cotton
1970s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1980s Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Giltwood
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Cherry
Late 20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Marble