Chunky Brass Rocking Chair with Damask Velvet Upholstery, France, 1900s
Located in Isle Sur La Sorgue, Vaucluse
An unusual brass rocking chair with an agreeable, chunky frame that has acquired a nice patina over time. The seat is of padded peacock-blue velvet with a bold damask-style motif in ...
Copper
Pair of French Louis XVI Style 1900s Painted Bergères Chairs with Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French Louis XVI style painted wood bergère chairs from the early 20th century, with carved décor and foliage-themed upholstery. Created in France at the Turn of the Centur...
Brass
French Walnut Boudoir, Vanity Chair with Floral Inlay, c. 1900s
Located in Doylestown, PA
French inlaid walnut boudoir, vanity chair in the Louis XVI manner, early 1900s. A gracefully formed chair with a shaped back having a floral inlay of a central blossoming tulip fla...
Upholstery, Walnut
Pair of English 1900s Neoclassical Style Painted and Gilt Chairs with Feathers
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of English Neoclassical style painted wood side chairs from the early 20th century with parcel gilt décor and carved feather motifs. Created in England at the Turn of the Cent...
Wood, Linen, Upholstery
English 1900s Wooden Child's Chair with Serpentine Arms and Custom Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
An English wooden child's chair from circa 1900 with serpentine arms, stretchers and custom linen upholstery. This English wooden child's chair, dating back to around 1900, is a deli...
Upholstery, Wood
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H 41.25 in W 26.5 in
Pair of Swedish Rococo Style 1900s Wingback Bergère Chairs with New Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Swedish Rococo style painted wood wingback bergère armchairs from the early 20th century with new upholstery. Each of this pair of Swedish bergères features a winged camelb...
Upholstery, Wood
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H 38.5 in W 26 in D 23.5 in
Pair of French Louis XVI Style 1900s Bergères à la Reine Chairs with Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of French Louis XVI style painted wood bergères à la Reine chairs from the early 20th century, with carved rosettes, gilded details and old upholstery. Created in France at th...
Upholstery, Wood
1900s French Wooden Chair With Upholstered Seat
Located in High Point, NC
Capture the allure of French design with this 1900s Wooden Chair, a piece that speaks volumes of its storied past with every delicate chip and crack in its antique white paint. The c...
Upholstery, Wood
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H 42.75 in W 23.25 in D 23 in
Set of 10 Antique Carved Walnut Dining Chairs with Gold Velvet Upholstery 1900s
Located in Swedesboro, NJ
Bring timeless elegance to your dining space with this exquisite set of 10 French Victorian dining chairs from the early 1900s, masterfully crafted from solid walnut.
Velvet, Walnut
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H 33.1 in W 16.3 in D 16.5 in
1900s Central European Wooden Chairs with Upholstered Seats and Back, a Pair
Located in High Point, NC
Uncover the allure of vintage charm with this exquisite pair of 1900s Central European Wooden Chairs. Each chair stands as a relic of a time when craftsmanship was an art, featuring ...
Upholstery, Wood
1900s Wooden Dining Chairs with Upholstered Seats, Set of 4
Located in High Point, NC
Step back in time with our set of four 1900s Wooden Dining Chairs, each piece a harmonious blend of history and artistry. These chairs are lovingly crafted from durable wood, with an...
Upholstery
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H 38 in W 17 in D 17 in
1900's Vintage, Shield Back, Dining, Mahogany, Green Uphol. Chairs, Set of 6!
Located in Austin, TX
Charming Set of Chairs, Shield Back, Dining, Set of 6, Mahogany, Green Upholstery, Vintage, 1900s, 20th Century!!
Fabric, Wood
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H 44 in W 18.5 in
French 1900s Louis XIII Style Wooden Side Chair with Bonnet Top and Turned Base
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Louis XIII style wooden side chair from the early 19th century, with bonnet top, turned base and new upholstery. Born in France during the turn of the century, this elegant ...
Upholstery, Wood
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H 36.75 in W 20 in D 17 in
Set of Six Swedish 1900s Painted Wood Side Chairs with Foliage-Carved Backs
Located in Atlanta, GA
A set of six Swedish painted wood dining room side chairs from the early 20th century, with carved foliage and new upholstery. Created in Sweden during the early years of the 20th ce...
Upholstery, Wood
1900s Antique Chinoiserie Pagoda Flare Arm Chair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Beautiful antique pagoda chinoiserie 1900s chair with flare sides. Original upholstery which may have some discoloring and or minor imperfections.
Wood
Pair of Oak Armchairs
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A pair of French circa 1900's oak arm chairs with sumo upholstery. Great accent chairs or lounge chairs.
Oak, Upholstery
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H 41.34 in W 18.31 in D 19.69 in
European Patinated Oak and Leather Chairs with Upholstery Tacks, Europe Ca 1900s
Located in Utrecht, NL
These four artisanal chairs preserve the best visual qualities of the Baroque and Jacobean Revival styles. This specific style came back into fashion when large country houses were b...
Leather, Wood
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H 36 in W 21 in D 18 in
Pair of Biedermeier Style 1900s Walnut Spoon Back Chairs with New Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A pair of Biedermeier style walnut spoon back chairs from the early 20th century with curving backs, saber legs and new linen upholstery. Created during the Turn of the Century, this...
Fabric, Upholstery, Walnut
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H 42.5 in W 18.5 in D 17.75 in
Set of Ten Italian Baroque Style 1900s Dining Side Chairs with Green Upholstery
Located in Atlanta, GA
A set of ten Italian Baroque style dining room side chairs from the early 20th century with camelbacks, turned legs, green upholstery and nailheads. Each of this set of Italian side ...
Upholstery, Wood
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H 40.95 in W 17.33 in D 17.33 in
1900s Pair of Italian Art Nouveau Chairs, wax poli with Original Silk Upholstery
Located in Vigonza, Padua
1900s Italian Art Nouveau side chairs in walnut, polished to wax with original silk upholstery with floral motifs in good condition still usable.
Silk, Walnut
1900s Turn of the Century French Slipper Chair with Out-Scrolling Back
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French Turn of the Century slipper chair circa 1900 with out-scrolling back, turned legs in the front and casters, with newly done linen reupholstery. This French Turn of the Centu...
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1900s Carved Spanish Revival Chair with Velvet Upholstery
Located in Pasadena, CA
Intricately carved armchair with amazing attention to detail. Velvet upholstered cushion with caned seat and back, circa 1920s.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.
Modern icons are showing up in gracefully layered dining nooks, living rooms and lounges — proof that great design only gets better with context.
Andrianna Shamaris has filled her epic new home with pieces of her own design.
Top interior designers show — and tell — us how to create delectable spaces for hosting dinner parties.
With its plush cushions, cane details and dazzlingly colorful back, it’s inviting from every angle.
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.