Louis XVI Gilded Fauteuil Armchair - Carved Beaded Frame with Floral Jacquard

Design & Inspiration

Louis XVI furniture was born of a deliberate correction. After decades of Rococo exuberance — its asymmetric shells, its restless S-curves — the court of Versailles turned back to antiquity: straight lines, balanced compositions, the calm authority of the classical column. This luxury fauteuil embodies that discipline precisely. The open-arm fauteuil format, with its exposed show-wood frame forming a complete architectural surround for the upholstery, was the prestige seating form of the Louis XVI salon — the chair placed at the centre of a conversation, not against a wall. Faithfully reproduced in the tradition of the great Parisian ébénistes, this piece brings that composed grandeur into the contemporary interior.

Materials & Craftsmanship

The frame is built from Romanian solid redwood dried to below 10% humidity — a specification that prevents the seasonal movement that causes gilded finishes to crack over time. Every surface is hand-carved before the gilding is applied: the crest rail carries a continuous running frieze, the arm supports descend in bold scrolling acanthus leaves, and the seat rail carries an unbroken frieze of rosettes set in roundels above a row of pearl beading, with a larger rosette on each corner block. The turned, fluted front legs — with their characteristic collar of pearl beading at the capital and base — are the single clearest signature of the Louis XVI period, the point at which the craftsman's training and the era's aesthetic ambitions converge. The gilded finish is hand-rubbed to a warm, even depth rather than a reflective high gloss, allowing the carved relief to read clearly in raking light.

Dimensions & Details

Width: 64 cm / Depth: 60 cm / Height: 109 cm. The chair is delivered fully assembled with a loose boxed seat cushion and a loose lumbar cushion finished with corner tassels; the back itself is tight-upholstered within the carved frame. Both cushions are filled with down-alternative material for lasting resilience. The upholstery fabric is a cream ground floral jacquard woven with blush-rose and sage-green botanical motifs — a palette that complements both the gilded frame and the neutral interior schemes of formal reception rooms. Also available with a tight-upholstered seat and back finished with braid, as shown in the gallery. Twisted cord trim defines the seat cushion edges on both top and bottom faces.

Handcrafted in Egypt

Every fauteuil in the Brass & Wood collection is produced in Egypt by craftsmen trained in the European classical tradition. The carving, the gilding, and the upholstery are all completed by hand, with no machine-pressed ornament. Pearl beading, acanthus scrolls, and rosette friezes are carved individually into the solid wood before any finish is applied — a sequence that ensures the ornament is part of the structure, not applied to its surface. The result is a chair built to the standard of the original period pieces it honours, at a fraction of the wait and cost of sourcing a genuine 18th-century example.

Frequently Asked Questions

What materials is this chair made from?

The frame is solid Romanian redwood (below 10% humidity) finished with a hand-rubbed gilded coating. The upholstery fabric is a cream floral jacquard. The chair arrives with a loose boxed seat cushion and a tasselled lumbar cushion, both filled with a down-alternative material.

Is assembly required?

No. The chair is delivered fully assembled and ready to place.

Can this chair be customised?

Yes. Fabric, upholstery colour, and finish tone can be adjusted to order. Contact Brass & Wood directly to discuss your requirements before placing a made-to-order request.