Gustavian Furniture – History

The Swedish Gustavian Provincial style is distinctive in its clean, hand-carved lines and cool color palette of blues, grays, and weathered whites.  King Gustav himself imported these influences from other parts of Europe, such as the Louis XVI styles seen in France and the Neo-Classical styles seen in Italy during this period.

At the time of Gustav’s reign (from 1772-1792), the average manor house in Sweden could not afford the gilded estate furniture found within the more wealthy homes of the European royalty.  Therefore, local craftsman recreated these costly designs from materials and methods more readily available to them.  Techniques such as faux marbled surfaces, using Swedish “massive pine” instead of mahogany, and painted murals on the walls in place of wallpaper, were used to achieve the same stylistic effects.

Though the Gustavian style was initially for the royal environs of the 18th century, its popularity has continued to grow over the years and, in fact, continues to inspire designers to this day.

We hope that you enjoy all the charm that Swede Home has to offer and look forward to hearing from you! Please send all questions and requests about Gustavian furniture & Swedish antiques to: swedehome@bellsouth.net