Antique French Louis XVI Rosewood Tete A Tete Conversation Chair Bench Loveseat
Located in Dayton, OH
An Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Tete A Tete Conversation Chair / Courting Bench. Made from Rosewood with an elaborate "S" form supported by turned and fluted columns ...
Velvet, Rosewood
$640 / item
Small French Empire Style Bench
Located in Buchanan, NY
Whether you use it for additional seating, as a decorative object, or as a unique conversation piece, this Empire style bench will bring charm and sophistication to your home.
Beech
Pair of Monumental Early 20th-Century Plantation Benches Paraíba Valley, Rio
Located in Rio De Janeiro, BR
Turned finials crown the posts, while the broad arms and generous seats speak of comfort designed for long gatherings, conversations, and ceremonies. Such benches would have origina...
Wood
Small 17th Century French Provincial Louis XIV Footstool in Circassian Walnut
Located in Middleburg, VA
A charming juxtaposition of old and new, this piece offers regal charm in a compact silhouette, ideal as a footstool, accent bench, or conversation-starting objet d'art.
Metal, Brass
Tibetan Carved Wood “Tête a Tête” Love Seat, Tibet 19th Century
Located in Utrecht, NL
There are two types of love seats, this form is known as a tête-à-tête, courting bench, or conversation bench. In this form, the two seats are arranged in an S shape, so that two peo...
Wood
The Confab
By John George Brown
Located in Fort Washington, PA
This charming scene of four boys sitting on a bench having a conversation is typical of the sentimentalized portrayals of street urchins that John George Brown is known for.
Canvas, Oil, Board
Children in Mulberry Street
By Jerome Myers
Located in New York, NY
The figure at the upper left is apparently a drawing, or at least the same figure, as Myers used in another etching called Conversation, two women on a bench talking. The other figur...
Etching
Sold
H 19 in W 72 in D 12 in
A Long Leather Pommel Horse Bench Seat A handsome leather pommel horse from Fra
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
This is a unique bench the leather has a super lustrous patina, it has short chunky oak legs and in excellent condition, a real beauty and a conversation piece.
Leather
19th Century Victorian Conversation Sofa Gossip Bench
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
A rare 19th century four seated round upholstered conversation sofa or 'gossip bench', heavily carved to the legs and skirt and with carved scrolled arms between each of the four sea...
Walnut
Sold
H 35.04 in W 46.86 in D 46.86 in
STUNNING ANTIQUE ViCTORIAN 1880 CONVERSATION "TETE A TETE" SOFA BENCH CHAIR
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale lovely Victorian circa 1860-1880, beautifully shaped “Tete a Tete” Conversation couch seat with an ornately...
Upholstery, Hardwood
Sold
H 18.5 in W 79 in D 26 in
Large Carved Stone Antique Garden Outdoor Indoor Coffee Table Farm Rustic
Located in West Hollywood, CA
Perfect to have it by your garden seating bench and drink your wine and unwind . or make a cushion and turn it into an entry Large single seat bench .
Stone, Limestone
Sold
H 30 in W 30.5 in D 62 in
Antique Victorian Tufted Tete a Tete Parlor Conversation Bench Arm Chair
Located in Dayton, OH
A magnificent Victorian era Tete-A-Tete. Upholstered in a heavy off white tufted fabric. The bench is supported by five turned walnut legs with casters.
Fabric, Walnut
English Oak Paneled Back Bench, 18th Century
Located in Atlanta, GA
At the end of the twelfth century it became a fashion to place a bench at the foot of a bed, to serve for conversation.
Oak
Rustic Conversation Bench with Attached Reading Light
Located in Water Mill, NY
Highly unusual metal and wood rustic conversation bench on wheels with attached working reading light
Victorian White Painted Wrought Iron Conversation Bench
Located in San Francisco, CA
Height: 35.5" Length: 45.5" Width: 19" Floor clearance: 17.5"
Wrought Iron
Sold
H 25 in W 52 in D 24 in
French 19th Century Tufted Leather Tête-à-Tête Conversation Bench with Nailhead
Located in Atlanta, GA
A French tête-à-tête conversation bench from the 19th century, with leather upholstery and turned supports.
Leather, Wood
BAR HARBOR WICKER TETE-E-TETE
Located in Sheffield, MA
Very rare American antique wicker tete-e-tete with attached center table. Also known as a conversation chair and "courting bench". White painted finish.
Cane
Bar Harbor Wicker Tete-e-tete
Located in Sheffield, MA
Rare American antique wicker tete-e-tete with attached center table. Also known as a conversation chair and "courting bench" Black painted finish.
Cane
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.