70 Swedish Furniture Pieces That Sell For Less- Swedish Decorating On A Budget

White Lacquer Finish Round Accent Table $321 From Overstock On Ebay

17th and 18th century furniture is still tremendously popular today. One of the biggest draws to Swedish and Nordic styles is the wood, the carvings and depth of detail. In a typical home in Sweden centuries ago, you would find almost everything made from wood. Wood furniture, plank flooring, wood walls, and decorative accessories made from wood. Each piece would be individually carved, and often painted, and overtime would endure natural distressing.

Gustavian Looks

Gustavian style drew a lot of attention from around the world, so much that they became known throughout Europe as the “Paris of the North.” Gustavian style embraced all the grandeur that Paris had to offer, but without the money that France was able to spend. Instead of marble, they brought out their paint brushes, and learned how to paint faux marble. Instead of mahogany woods, they made their furniture from the white blonder woods found in their native land. Silk and satin was exchanged out for linen. Painted swags replaced the costly hand carved garland-like swags found on the walls in France.

Sweden’s vast forest industry made it possible for citizens to be skilled in some sort of trade that involved wood. So, as the trends came out from France and England, the latest looks would be crafted inexpensively. Woodworkers could modify the designs, change out the distinctive English or French designs, and add or change the look to suit their taste. Furniture feet, leg style, color, wood was all modified for what they found most desirable in their communities. From region to region different styles of furniture and accessories were made, which also had their own character trait, and color palette.

France and England heavily influenced Europe at that time, and so it was natural that Sweden also followed suit. They adopted the Louis XV and Louis XVI styles founded in France, but made them their own. Over time, with the excavations from Pompeii, Gustavian style also incorporated the classical looks that circulated around Italy, and Greece.

How To Get The Look On A Budget

I used to paint furniture as a hobby, spending most of my days hunting through thrift stores, estate sales, and I always had my eye on craigslist for the best finds in Virginia. My husband worked full time, which allowed me the ability to shop for worn out pieces which I then updated and sold. We moved away from the city, and into the country, where blogging is now my day to day life. Over the years, I have found some pretty amazing finds second hand, but I also have come to know, they just don’t compare to what you can buy new. I find I am always running across great pieces of furniture around the net which are sort of hidden away. I have come to realize that you can find really nice furniture for under $500 dollars. When you add up your valuable time, and gas- buying online simply just makes sense, especially if you are pretty particular in what you are after.

Here are 70+ links to great pieces from a couple big sellers on Amazon and ebay to give you the Swedish and French looks on a budget.

Here are just a few tips to pulling your look together…..

Arrow Ormolu Mounts From Ari Luxury On Ebay

1. Use Ormolu Mounts– If you have a pretty simple table, dress it up using decorative appliques. Europe embraced the use of gilt-bronze mounts, brass inlay and quintessential gilded enrichments that we all admire to this day.

Articles:

-Affordable French Furniture Appliques- Hersite

-How Decorate With French Empire Antiques- Hersite

-Architectural Molds- French Style Authority

2. Look For Straight Leg Furniture– If you live in America, look for the straight legged shaker style table and chairs. Straight legged tables, chairs, benches will give you the Swedish look and they are pretty easy to find in America.

Additional Articles:

– Amazingly Affordable Swedish Looking Furniture- The Swedish Furniture

-Swedish Furniture And Decorating On A Budget- Mora Clock Reproductions And More – The Swedish Furniture

Turn this unfinished international concepts table, sells for $42 dollars into a thousand dollar table with an additional marble top and some paint. Consider white paint with gold accents for a classic Swedish style. The Second table, sold by International Concepts features straight legs with a round round table top with Drawer- $104

3. Look For Fluted Legged Furniture -Gustavian furniture is well known for their use of fluted leg tables, square back chairs, and demi lune tables. If the legs are right, often times, you can add to the look to make it Swedish.

– This dark brown side table needs some color. Gray, pink, or blue, it would look prettier painted. It has spectacular legs, and a round table top that looks like it belongs in the Louis XVI collections. Only $133 On Ebay

-This 3-piece nesting table set sells for only $110 Dollars On Ebay I would strip off the existing paint, paint it, and then heavily distress it. Or, paint it a muted pastel and gold leaf the details. What a great price!

– Another pretty Console Table $418 On Ebay Gold leaf the details, or use white paint on the details, and a pretty color on the other features.

4. Use The Right Colors– Paint has always been my best friend. Typical ‘Gustavian’ colors include gray, pale blue, and pale green colors. Consider accenting your home with light pink and pale yellow.

Additional Aricles

– The Shocking History Behind “Emerald Green Paint-The Swedish Furniture

-Top Designers Pick The Best Furniture Paint Colors- The Swedish Furniture

-Swedish Paint Finishes -How To Wash Wood-The Swedish Furniture

-Salmon Paint Shades- Decorate With Apricot, Peach and Terracotta –Hersite

5. Paint With Matte or Chalk Paint – Swedish furniture tends to have a matte, chalky or powdery look. Limewashes were once used to brighten furniture and saturated colors were used along with glue or oil to make paint.

Chalk paint sold through distributors can give the look that is commonly seen on Swedish furniture. Or, consider adding in a bit of un-sanded grout to your paint. I tend to buy it in an off white color at the local hardware store, and a tablespoon goes a long way. It will give you chalk like finish. Use brown glaze to add an antique appearance. What I tend to do is brush it on, and after 2 minutes, I wipe it off using a facecloth. It can add a tint to your overall paint finish, and give your paint a look that doesn’t appear to be so new.

Additional Articles:

– Furniture Painting, Distressing & Glazing Examples-The Swedish Furniture

-What’s With Chalk Paint? 80+ Pictures Of Annie Sloan Chalk Painted Furniture – Painted Furniture Online

-How To Paint French Provincial Furniture A Perfect White –French Provincial Furniture

-Priming Furniture- French Provincial Furniture

-Staining And Re-Finishing Furniture- 40+ Pro Tips- Hersite

-What We Are Not Being Told About Furniture Strippers – Hersite

-DecoArt Chalk Paint Line Sold At Home Depot – Hersite

-50+ Pictures Of Great Painted Pieces- Painted Furniture Online

-56 Greige Pieces- Exceptional Painters And Their Furniture Painted Furniture Online

6. Work With Blonde Woods- Swedish style generally only features the lighter woods, because that was what was available in the surrounding regions. Swedish country homes contain a lot of birch, white pine, beech, and alder. It is used for furniture, floors and walls, and either left natural, bleached, or painted in pale colors.

If you have a piece of furniture that is stained, consider investing in a heat gun, to remove the existing finish. By doing this, when you go to paint and distress the piece, the lighter wood color will show through than the mahogany or darker stains. It will give your pieces a more authentic appearance.

Safavieh American Home Collection Concord Console Table $112 on Amazon

Safavieh American Home Collection Brigg White and Dark Brown Console Table $196 on Amazon