Louis XIV Stools
As opposed to the styles that would follow from the other 18th-century French kings, Louis XV and Louis XVI, antique Louis XIV furniture is rigid and imposing. It expresses opulence — even its armchairs, with their upright backs, straight legs and lavish ornamentation, look like thrones. Authentic Louis XIV sofas, a then newly emerging iteration of seating, are fully upholstered and often feature decoratively carved frames of walnut, chestnut or oak.
When French King Louis XIV established his royal court at Versailles in 1682, he transformed what was once a hunting lodge into a palace that declared his wealth and power through its design. Until his death in 1715, he reigned with a spirit of excess and absolute political dominance. The “Sun King,” as he called himself, believed that France revolved around him as planets do the sun. Louis XIV adopted the sun as his emblem, decorating the grounds with symbols of the sun and Apollo, the Greek god of the sun. As he stated, “There is nothing that indicates more clearly the magnificence of great princes than their superb palaces and their precious furniture.” He was a child when he became king in 1643, only shaping his style after he became absolute monarch in 1661.
Reflecting trends in French Baroque art, Louis XIV furniture characteristics included exuberant decoration. There were gilded bronze details including shells, suns, grotesques, lions and classical references like acanthus leaves. The years of growth in the country’s manufacturing, such as the tapestries and cabinets made at Gobelins, led to design innovations. The commode replaced the chest as a storage device, with drawers and a surface that could double as a desk.
The materials were luxurious, such as the popular tortoiseshell veneer technique that leading cabinetmaker Pierre Golle used in his designs. André-Charles Boulle, who became royal cabinetmaker in 1672, was a masterful artist of marquetry, using inlays of ebony, exotic woods and mother-of-pearl.
Find a collection of antique Louis XIV bedroom furniture, chairs, tables and other pieces on 1stDibs.
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Beech
1880s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Fabric, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Tapestry, Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Louis XIV Stools
Chestnut
1690s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary British Louis XIV Stools
Wood
Early 18th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Oak
2010s English Louis XIV Stools
Wood
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Tapestry, Giltwood
2010s English Louis XIV Stools
Giltwood, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Tapestry, Walnut
20th Century Spanish Louis XIV Stools
Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century Louis XIV Stools
Gold Leaf
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Hardwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Fabric, Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Linen, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Linen, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Linen, Oak
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Linen, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Louis XIV Stools
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Louis XIV Stools
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Dutch Louis XIV Stools
Velvet, Antler
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Burlap, Wood, Walnut
1960s American Vintage Louis XIV Stools
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century Austrian Louis XIV Stools
Bentwood
20th Century Louis XIV Stools
Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Cane, Fruitwood
20th Century Louis XIV Stools
Upholstery, Kingwood, Satinwood
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Metal
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Stools
Fabric, Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Leather, Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Stools
Giltwood, Fabric
Mid-17th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Iron
19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Tapestry, Giltwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Silk, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Velvet, Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XIV Stools
Walnut
Early 20th Century French Louis XIV Stools
Fabric, Velvet, Wood, Walnut