Biedermeier

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of Decorati partner, John Widdicomb.

Emerging after Napoleon’s defeat at Waterloo in 1815 as a series of design ideas born in the German-speaking lands, Russia, Scandinavia, and throughout the Austro-Hungarian empire, the Biedermeier style shed the grandiose flourishes and monumentality that had characterized the Empire style, emphasizing a more simple, spare beauty and practical functionality with painted designs and applied carvings. Though the two words composing the term Biedermeier suggest a plain, everyday look, Biedermeier furnishings were featured in homes at all social levels and incorporated both flamboyant and austere forms.

Biedermeier Style Products on Decorati
Biedermeier Style Side Chair by Center44	Biedermeier Elm Cabinet by Ambiance Antiques	Biedermeier Walnut Bench by Antiques 202 by Sheila Britz	Biedermeier Tub Chair by Center44

Made in factories and workshops by semi-skilled craftsmen, the pieces were based on standardized patterns and were often held together with glues instead of joinery. The inexpensive woods used in the pieces reflected their locales and included cherry, walnut, and ash; Sweden produced pieces in blond woods especially birch. The style has enjoyed the continuous interest of architects and designers and influenced the Art Deco and Bauhaus styles that followed its revival at the end of the 19th century. (The first wave of production ended in 1848). Today, the style appeals to those with modern, urbane tastes owing to its subtle, elegant flair and clean lines that can bridge informal and formal design features.

Written by Donna Sapolin.

VIEW MORE EXAMPLES OF BIEDERMEIER FURNITURE ON DECORATI

“I love the use of negative space in highly refined European styles like Biedermeier. I admire spaces and surfaces that are left consciously untouched, places that are unadorned where reflection or surface texture is taken into account.” — Steven Miller, designer

Biedermeier Style Products on Decorati
Walnut Commode by Iliad Antik	Vienna Occasional Table by Scott Arthur Yerkey	Ash and Maple Recamiere by Iliad Antik	Neoclassical Desk by Serban Furniture

EXAMPLES OF ROOMS THAT INCORPORATE BIEDERMEIER FURNITURE:

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of interior designer, William McIntosh.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of interior designer, William McIntosh.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of interior designer, William McIntosh.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of interior designer, William McIntosh.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of Decorati partner, John Widdicomb.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of Decorati partner, John Widdicomb.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of Decorati partner, John Widdicomb.

Photo featuring Biedermeier courtesy of Decorati partner, John Widdicomb.

OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES:

Karl Kemp Antiques - The History of the Biedermeier Style of Antique Furniture

Biedermeier - The Comfortable Style

Art Furniture Design - Biedermeier

Home & Garden - Biedermeier Style

Restorations Network - The Biedermeier Style

New York Times - The Appeal of Biedermeier Furniture

Furniture Styles - Biedermeier

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