Under Napoleon III’s rule, Paris underwent a great rebuilding overseen by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann, which created grand avenues and lavish landmarks like the Paris Opera. Antique Napoleon III–style furniture was flamboyant and eclectic. It was also known as Second Empire style since it followed and referenced the Empire style of his uncle Napoleon I.

Developing from 1852–70, Napoleon III furniture was plush and ornate, matching the fashion for masked balls and socializing in salons. It borrowed freely from earlier French styles including Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI as well as aesthetics from around the world, from antiquity to Asian art. As writer Gustave Claudin remarked in 1867, the country’s architects worked in “a style which one would be tempted to call neo-Greco-Gothico-Pompadour-Pompeian.”

Napoleon III chairs were completely covered with velvet and lined with tassels; pouf footstools invited people to put up their feet. Sofas were upholstered with tapestries, and beds were adorned with gilt bronze and theatrical canopies. The addition of conservatories to homes led to new indoor-outdoor furniture, while the spirit of hygiene promoted by Baron Haussmann inspired bright, floral motifs.

Although the most ostentatious designs were for the elite, as seen in the Napoleon III apartments preserved in the Louvre, where red velvet, gilding and chandeliers create a cacophony of luxury, these trends influenced homes across classes as manufacturing made design increasingly accessible. Papier-mâché furniture allowed for elaborate shapes that would have been difficult to carve in wood. The malleable material was painted with chinoiserie patterns and decorative designs. It was mass-produced by factories such as Jennens and Bettridge with varnishing and mother-of-pearl inlays creating an effect reminiscent of Asian lacquer. (Surfaces that had been “japanned” — a specialty of Jennens and Bettridge — were intended to resemble lacquer work that was created in East Asia.)

Find a collection of antique Napoleon III decorative objects, tables, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.

Finding the Right Pedestals-columns for You

Antique and vintage columns and pedestals can make a statement in your home with their timeless beauty. They have a rich architectural history, from ancient Egyptian columns adorned with lotus capitals to the stylized Corinthian columns of Greece. Today, they can add refinement to your spaces, both indoors and out.

The options for pedestals and columns are endless. Influenced by everything from ancient ruins to European palaces, columns and pedestals include contemporary designs and distressed pieces. There are modern designs from all over the world, such as Pakistani, Italian and French examples. Other designs draw on architectural heritage, like those created in the Louis XIV style, which references Greece and Rome and evokes the decadence of Versailles through gold and vivid colors.

The materials used in columns and pedestals can vary widely. Marble and gilt pedestals add elegance, while patina brass columns offer sophistication. An upcycled item such as an industrial press can become a column, while certain mid-century barstools can be repurposed as pedestals.

Whether elaborate Victorian or Art Deco designs, pedestals and columns can be the base for another piece of art, adding height or accenting a sculpture. One or several can display ferns or other plants with trailing vines. Some pedestals come with planters for this purpose.

On their own, these elements can provide character and a touch of antiquity to one’s decor. Columns and pedestals made of stone, wood and rattan are among those available on 1stDibs. Browse hundreds of columns and pedestals to find one for your space.