French Louis XVI Revival Banquette w/ Side Étagère c.1920 - 42½" x 62½"

This charming early 20th-century French banquette brings a gentle Louis XVI revival elegance to life, with its high straight back, scroll-topped arms, and the rare delight of a built-in side étagère -perfect for a book, a vase, or a treasured object. The walnut frame has been newly patinated in a soft, time-worn cream that beautifully lifts the crisp carving: rosettes, acanthus capitals, fluted legs, and a finely worked floral garland along the apron.

Rooted in the neoclassical spirit of the late 18th century and revived by French ateliers between 1900 and 1920, this banquette reflects the era’s taste for refined lines and delicate ornament, its integrated étagère adding a whimsical and uncommon flourish. Upholstered in a natural linen-toned fabric that complements the pale finish, it presents in good condition with light, intentional distressing and subtle rubbing at the edges that lend an inviting, lived-in grace. The rear feet are plain and functional, and the back is finished with a simple dust cover, both features reinforcing that the banquette was intended to sit against a wall.

This banquette lends a warm, understated romance to an entryway, salon, or library, the tall back offering a gentle architectural presence against the wall. The petite étagère invites small, intimate touches such as a candle, a beloved book, or a single bloom, and a trumeau or gilt mirror above softly echoes the piece’s neoclassical lines. In a bedroom or dressing room, it becomes a graceful place to pause, the creamy finish and natural linen weaving effortlessly into both classic and contemporary interiors.