The Karl Johan period

The French marshal Bernadotte became king, and the Empire style got a Swedish version: sturdy, simple furniture in mahogany and birch.

Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte was elected heir to the throne in 1810 and became king as Karl XIV Johan in 1818. He brought French Empire with him, but in Sweden the style became simpler and heavier. The furniture has large veneered surfaces, columns and paw feet, and it was often made of native birch.

The Gustavsberg porcelain factory started in 1825, and Swedish factories began making earthenware after the English model. Middle-class homes became more comfortable, and the simple forms of Biedermeier mixed with the Karl Johan style.