Black Softwood Armchairs
Antique Late 18th Century American Country Armchairs
Wicker, Pine, Linen
2010s Egyptian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Pine, Lacquer
Antique Late 18th Century American American Classical Armchairs
Pine
Antique 1810s English Regency Armchairs
Pine, Lacquer, Cane
Antique 19th Century Swedish Rococo Armchairs
Pine
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2010s Brazilian Dining Room Chairs
Teak
2010s Brazilian Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Bergere Chairs
Linen
Late 20th Century North American British Colonial Armchairs
Cane, Mahogany
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Travertine
2010s Chinese Minimalist Stools
Leather, Oak
2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs
Linen
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Velvet, Wood, Ebony
Antique 19th Century American Country Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Chairs
Leather, Wood, Beech, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Armchairs
Brass
2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs
Linen
2010s Turkish Minimalist Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Marble, Stone
2010s North American Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Enamel, Nickel, Brass, Bronze
2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs
Linen
Recent Sales
Mid-20th Century Chinese Qing Furniture
Softwood
Antique 19th Century Austrian Renaissance Revival Armchairs
Pine
Antique 19th Century American Folk Art Armchairs
Pine
Finding the Right Armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.
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