French Design: Learn About Louis-Style Furniture

The reign of the Louis' — Kings Louis XIV, XV and XVI — lasted from 1643 to 1793 and marked a high point in French culture, French global political power and European furniture design. These monarchs produced a century-and-a-half-long run of classic design that ended abruptly when Louis XVI (husband to Marie Antoinette) lost his throne ... and then his head. Their style lived on long after their reigns and influences design and furniture trends to this day. "You can see the influence of the Kings Louis in Art Nouveau, Art Deco, multiple Victorian revivals and even in 20th century designs," says Dennis Harrington, head of Sotheby's English and European Furniture Department. Let’s take a look at the three Louis' styles and the furniture pieces that bear their names.

Louis XIV, the famed Sun King, used architecture, gardens and interiors to create the ultimate image of majesty. His reign from 1643 to 1715 marked the apogee of the French monarchy’s power. He turned Versailles from a modest hunting lodge into a showroom for his luxurious style. The Sun King was all about excess with a capital E, so in his era you get pieces like this luxe desk with gilded legs and ebony wood, bone and tortoiseshell inlay. The hinged top opens to create a small, flat writing surface, so for all its over-the-top details, this is a super practical piece of furniture. Its name, bureau brisé, is French for “broken desk,” a reference to that fold-out top. It's the forerunner of the desk in your home office today.

Even armchairs looked like thrones during Louis XIV's epic 72-year reign. This was a guy who wanted you to know he ruled much of the known world with divine-ordained power. He wanted you to see his power in his furniture, so everything from desks to chairs were heavy, grand and pompous. These Louis XIV armchairs have straight backs, long, curved arms and and are dripping with carved ornamentation.

Louis XIV furniture is a luxurious exercise in excess, like this Rococo commode (cabinet) made by rock star cabinet maker André-Charles Boulle sometime between 1710 and 1715. It has an Egyptian green marble top, ebony wood veneers, a gilt bronze frame and drips with carved leaves, flowers and scrolls. It is peak Louis XIV-era maximalism.

King Louis XV, who reigned from 1715 to 1774, ushered in a revolutionary era in furniture design. He remodeled Versailles, adding suites of smaller rooms that needed smaller, more informal furniture. So the king's designers came up with a new idea for domestic living. They created functional interiors and comfortable furniture that were inspired by the Enlightenment, which emphasized individuals over institutions. Furniture in this period got smaller, more portable, and for the first time ever, was made for sitting around and chatting or napping. This bed epitomizes the spirit of the age because it's comfortable, curvy, and about the size of a modern full bed. It can also double as a sofa, so it works well in small space. Here's where daybeds get their start.

The French court under Louis XV invented informality and comfort in interior design. And, it was during his reign that the French court also invented the sofa, the ultimate in comfortable, informal furniture. "Comfort was imperative, because the 18th century saw the rise of polite society and political and literary salons, where hours were spent conversing, socializing, flirting and playing cards," Harrington of Sotheby's says. Enter the sofa, the soft pants of furniture. Here's an early sofa, made in 1760 by Jean-Jacques Pothier. Upholstered in velvet, it's about the size of a modern loveseat. The next time you're crashed on the couch doing a Netflix binge, thank King Louis XV for bringing sofas to your life.

The fauteuil, created during the reign of Louis XV, is the forerunner of the contemporary armchair. It features an exposed carved wood frame (rather than enclosed, upholstered sides) and upholstered back, seat and arm rests. This is a pair from 1760, made of beechwood with cabriole legs that make the chairs look as if they're standing on high heel shoes. To 21st century eyes, they look fussy. But these chairs were revolutionary in their day because they focused on comfort. So revolutionary, in fact, that they influenced most furniture that came afterwards. “Even 20th century design icons like the Barcelona and the Tulip Chair have influences of the Louis period,” Harrington says.

Louis XVI, the last king of France, moved away from the extravagant Rococo fantasy of his father's furniture and went for a simpler look. Maybe he sensed the French people were turning against the crown and its extravagance (cue La Révolution). Inspired by archaeological discoveries like the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, Louis XVI opted for Neoclassical's clean lines, over Rococo's curves. “He banished the curves and replaced them with straight lines and ornamental motifs inspired by Ancient Rome and Greece,” Harrington says. You can see the difference in styles in this pairing of an ebony wood bureau from 1775, with a gilded Louis XIV clock made 65 years earlier atop it. The clock, made by Boulle, drips with ornamentation; the bureau has clean lines and feels more contemporary.

Louis XVI's relatively informal lifestyle gave rise to the creation of a slew of new types of furniture that are fixtures in our lives today — like nightstands. Imagine, there were no nightstands till Louis XVI had them made. This example crafted by Jean-Henri Riesener in 1780 for none other than Marie-Antoinette is the ancestor of the nightstand by your bed. It has a white marble top, mosaic inlay and gilded trim, but its lines are clean, simple and Neoclassical. Just think, if it weren't for Louis XVI, you'd have to stack books you're going to read in bed on the floor.

The Louis period influence lived on long after the kings. This Louis XVI-style bed is a revival piece made in the 19th century. It has the Neoclassic lines characteristic of the style, as well as the focus on sumptuous comfort with an upholstered headboard and footboard. Yes, your upholstered headboard traces its roots to the Louis period, too.

This marble-topped console, made in 1785 by Riesener, shows more of the Louis XVI era's rebellious restraint. This piece, like others of its day, drew inspiration from Neoclassical styles, so it has clean lines, an architectural shape and straight legs. And yes, this is where the guillotine happens. Louis XVI and his queen, Marie Antoinette, were beheaded in 1791, six years after this piece was made. Their restraint didn't extend beyond taste in furniture so French masses weary of royal excess brought the monarchy down. Their influence on decor and architecture lived on, though. "No one has come up with a better solution than the classic Louis XV fauteuil or the Louis XVI bureau plat (writing table) for the basic activities of sitting, reading, writing or working on a laptop," Herrington says. "You can't improve on perfection."

A set of Louis XVI-style chairs share a dining room with furniture and accessories ranging from transitional to midcentury modern. The key to puling off that successful decade mixing? Keep all the pieces in the same color family. You can mix styles from a lot of eras, as long as you stick to a consistent color theme. "Many people are surprised at how well Louis-era furniture can coexist with more contemporary pieces and walls adorned with abstract expressionist art," Herrington says.

A Louis XVI chair meshes with a contemporary interior thanks to leather upholstery that puts a contemporary edge on those lush French lines. Add ornate, Sun King-ish accessories like that gold-framed mirror to keep a little Versailles excess in your minimalist exposed-brick loft.

Bring the Louis-style love of maximalism into a room by pairing Louis-style furniture with layers of textures and accessories. Here, a Louis XVI-inspired bed is surrounded by a gallery wall of plates, fabric feature wall, carved nightstands and a chandelier dripping with crystals. Think Marie-Antoinette, not Marie Kondo.

All Kings Louis loved their velvet upholstery and gilded wood, but it's hard to make all that ornamentation work in a 21st century room. Here, a Louis XVI-style chair gets an update with upholstery that's rustic and relaxed. The chair has been painted a muted color to add to the casual vibe.