French Bow Settee
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Wool, Upholstery
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Giltwood
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Settees
Hardwood, Pine
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Upholstery, Velvet, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Settees
Silk, Giltwood
People Also Browsed
Antique 1880s French Victorian Screens and Room Dividers
Fabric
Antique 1880s Swedish Gustavian Benches
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century English High Victorian Taxidermy
Other
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Beds and Bed Frames
Giltwood
Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Stools
Leather, Upholstery, Velvet
Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Daybeds
Wood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century American Glass
Art Glass
Antique 19th Century Neoclassical Sofas
Mahogany
Antique 1890s French Art Nouveau Daybeds
Iron
20th Century Louis XVI Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Beech
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Sofas
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Beds and Bed Frames
Upholstery, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Louis XVI Footstools
Upholstery, Wood
Antique 19th Century Portuguese Baroque Bed Coronas
Wood
Vintage 1950s English Renaissance Beds and Bed Frames
Oak
2010s British Louis XVI Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century French Settees
Antique Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Giltwood
Mid-20th Century French Figurative Sculptures
Wire
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XV Settees
Wood
Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Settees
Early 20th Century French Settees
Wood, Fabric
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Upholstery, Giltwood
Early 20th Century French Settees
Giltwood, Upholstery
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Upholstery, Giltwood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-20th Century French Louis XV Settees
Vintage 1920s French Louis XVI Settees
Wood, Cane
Antique 19th Century French Settees
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Wood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Wood
Antique 19th Century Settees
Beech
Vintage 1940s French Sofas
Wood, Paint, Down
Vintage 1920s French Benches
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Daybeds
Beech
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Canapes
Antique Late 18th Century French Louis XV Canapes
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Fruitwood
20th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Wood, Linen
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Settees
Giltwood
Late 20th Century Louis XVI Settees
Fabric, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Sofas
20th Century French Sofas
Muslin, Upholstery
Antique 19th Century French Sofas
Antique 19th Century French Canapes
Antique 19th Century French Sofas
Finding the Right settees for You
Vintage, new and antique settees are a smart and stylish choice for adding more seating to a room.
Settees first appeared in 17th-century Europe. A very famous settee, known as the Knole settee, was actually used by a monarch in South East England to receive visitors. This seating furniture was often part of a set that included matching chairs. While settees were popular in parlors, you could also find similar seating, such as daybeds and chaises longues (both of which derive from the settee, as does the chesterfield), where you might relax with guests in your home.
Today, a settee is still furniture that invites socializing. They’re common in living rooms and other shared areas because they allow you to cozy up to someone and have a conversation with them.
Settees are typically small seats that can fit two or more people, but they aren’t as wide as couches or sofas. A settee is more intimate and offers more sitting room than an armchair. Settees often have a backrest for optimal support and are frequently upholstered.
Are you looking to add more seating to an entertainment room but working with limited space? We promise that your vintage settee will look great next to your coffee table in your main seating area. You can also add a settee to your mudroom so that guests have a comfortable spot to sit down and take off their shoes. If you have a small space in your home that you’re still figuring out how to use, add a settee to turn it into a comfortable reading nook. They work in bedrooms too; a tufted settee designed by Danish modernist Finn Juhl makes perfect sense at the foot of your bed.
Most settees come with an upholstered seat, but you can find variations that aren’t upholstered. There are antique wood settees and benches that will look right at home in a rustic decor.
The backrest is an important consideration when choosing a settee. You can find pieces with low seat backs that look discreet and don’t provide a lot of support. If you want more support, we recommend choosing a settee with a high back.
A settee with a high back can become a statement piece, especially if you choose an item with a unique upholstery print or decorative frame.<a href=https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/seating/settees/style/victorian/ target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"> Victorian settees are ideal for introducing an air of sophistication to your living room. These pieces often feature frames of walnut or mahogany, a seat upholstered in chintz fabric (Victorians appreciated that the glazed finish made it easy to wipe clean) and sculptural hand-carved cabriole legs.
If you want something that feels more contemporary or will work better with your mid-century modern side tables and lounge chair, consider Space Age settees or mid-century modern versions. In your main seating area, tie the elements together with a large rug. (Find more tips on how to arrange furniture here.)
On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage, new and antique settees from different eras to match any furniture style.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
Julien Sebban’s energetic design collective is radically reshaping the look of 21st-century European furniture and interiors.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
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.
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.