Glistening gold, gleaming and ebonized wood- these are the things that my favorite furniture is made of.  Be it a bed, chest, cabinet, table, mirror, or chair, the look is always exquisite.  The style originated in France during the time of Napoleon’s First French Empire in the early 1800s and was intended to idealize his empire. Above is Napoleon’s chamber in Versailles. The style then spread to the rest of Europe and the United States.  The furniture often uses veneers of mahogany and ebony as well as ormolu, a gilded bronze.

The bed below is a rarity indeed.  To find a French bed from the 1870s that can accomadate a contemporary king mattress is a find in itself, to be this exquisite is almost unbelievable and unheard of.

The chest below with the more antiqued gold is marvelous as a chest, but would also make a comanding entryway piece.  It utilizes the woman’s and lion’s head with end cut wood.

Add some lustrous glass to this empire piece and you will be hard pressed to decide wether to admire the contents or just marvel at the storage piece itself.

Russian, equally ornate but without the figurehead.

The head of the woman has been replaced by lions in this fine specimen.

In pure black, these pieces from the Waldorf Astoria certainly command a second look.

The piece below is stunning in its judicious use of the ebonized diamonds and spare gold accents.

Two demilune tables back to back to make a round.  A perfect balance of wood, gold, and ebonized wood. The marble on top ties the piece together beautifully.  This exquisite black and gold marble was unfortunately completely mined out decades ago.

As the original empire pieces are not within the reach of most of us, there are some beautiful similar pieces you can find.

Below is a modern interpretation by Thomas Pheasant for Baker:

Another modern reinterpretation of the gilded look by Jonathan Adler in the Rider Small cabinet.  It would be at home in any modern apartment.

I could see the cabinet above with Rider dining chairs also by Jonathan Adler. The blue color is regal and fun at the same time.

The Andover Empire console, a less ornate console by Century.  This would be perfect in a French Country home.

From Ralph Lauren an empire dining table in black with gold accents. It comes in oval and round shape.

Jagger Ottoman- coffee table, ottoman, storage in gold and wood in a look all their own by Niermann Weeks.

Again by Niermann Weeks, not to be outshined by their own design, used Empire engravings of winged griffin sentinels to create the Tole Grffin mirror.

A Mexican Double Empire bench by Ebanista.

 

Feature image Versailles Grand Trianon Napoleon’s Chamber from wikimedia commons.