Biedermeier Sofa

This Biedermeier sofa is an “empire-type” sofa - a simplified interpretation of the influential French Empire style popular in the early 1800s. The sofa has sloping arms & back, curving legs, and four square feet. The crest rail is ornamented by a gold circular-patterned band and topped with black wood trim. The present upholstery, gold cotton-blend damask (2004), is reminiscent of the original show cover, copper-toned silk-damask with a pale pink floral and bow-knot motif, that dated to c. 1900. The term Biedermeier originated from a work of social commentary which described the style as something that could be found in almost every home of the time. The word “bieder,” meaning unpretentious or plain, combined with Meier, a common German surname, to become Biedermeier.