Chair With Outward Splay Arms
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Wingback Chairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Upholstery
2010s American Modern Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Armchairs
Wood
20th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Leather, Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1960s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
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Antique Late 18th Century Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Paint
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Formica, Wood
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Crystal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Brass
Vintage 1970s Chinoiserie Bird Cages
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass
2010s Argentine Modern Beds and Bed Frames
Rush, Wood
Vintage 1950s Unknown Art Nouveau Chandeliers and Pendants
Slag Glass
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Formica, Beech
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dressers
Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Formica, Beech
Antique 19th Century Chinese Qing Chairs
Wood
Mid-20th Century British Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Faux Leather, Formica, Beech
Recent Sales
Vintage 1940s French Club Chairs
Walnut
Antique Mid-19th Century American Wingback Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Danish Club Chairs
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Club Chairs
Iron
20th Century Danish Club Chairs
Leather, Rosewood
Antique 19th Century Italian Bergere Chairs
Upholstery
Antique Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Armchairs
Mahogany, Velvet
Antique 1720s Italian Louis XIV Armchairs
Walnut
Vintage 1960s American Hollywood Regency Chairs
Faux Leather, Faux Bamboo, Cane
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Federal Dining Room Chairs
Walnut
20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Rosewood, Leather
Late 20th Century French Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Oak
20th Century Austrian Armchairs
Cherry
Antique 19th Century English Bergere Chairs
Brass
Antique 18th Century and Earlier Painted Furniture
Pine, Maple
Finding the Right seating for You
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.
Read More
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This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
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Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
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Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.