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.
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Ormolu
1960s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Steel
1940s American Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Olive, Burl
Late 18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Silk, Wood
18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Iron
20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Brass
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Linen, Cane, Wood, Paint
18th Century Dutch Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Copper, Wrought Iron
20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1950s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Unknown Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Louis XV Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Sterling Silver
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Italian Louis XV Furniture
Metal
1870s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1890s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Marble, Carrara Marble
1940s Italian Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Breccia Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wood, Pine
Early 20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass, Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Bronze
1880s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Brass
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Furniture
Crystal, Bronze
1920s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
1780s Italian Antique Louis XV Furniture
Kingwood, Walnut
Early 1900s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Ormolu
19th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Carrara Marble, Bronze, Ormolu
1930s French Vintage Louis XV Furniture
Bronze, Ormolu
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Walnut
Mid-18th Century French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Limestone
1750s French Antique Louis XV Furniture
Wool, Silk