Edwardian Oak Barley Twist Armchairs
Vintage 1910s European Edwardian Armchairs
Oak
Antique Late 19th Century French Edwardian Armchairs
Sheepskin, Oak
People Also Browsed
2010s French Modern Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
Mid-20th Century French French Provincial Dining Room Chairs
Oak, Lambskin
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Early 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Beech, Lambskin
Mid-20th Century Swedish Art Deco Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Velvet, Beech
Antique 1870s Swedish Brutalist Shelves
Pine
20th Century Unknown Colonial Revival Chairs
Cane, Wood
Antique 19th Century British Empire Chairs
Leather, Cane, Beech
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century Swedish Brutalist Armchairs
Hardwood
Vintage 1960s Italian Dining Room Chairs
Cane, Beech
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wardrobes and Armoires
Chestnut
Mid-20th Century Japanese Lounge Chairs
Cane
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Cane, Oak
Recent Sales
Vintage 1910s English Edwardian Armchairs
Oak
Vintage 1910s English Edwardian Sofas
Oak
20th Century English Armchairs
Oak, Leather
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.