Leather Knole
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1920s Scottish Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Iron
Vintage 1960s American Spanish Colonial Living Room Sets
Leather
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Oak
Antique 16th Century French Renaissance Armchairs
Walnut
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21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary British Organic Modern Wall Lights and Sco...
Plaster
2010s French Garden Ornaments
Iron
21st Century and Contemporary Bergere Chairs
Linen
2010s Danish Scandinavian Modern Table Lamps
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Screens and Room Dividers
Pine
Vintage 1940s American Mid-Century Modern Settees
Mohair
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Bouclé, Foam, Wood, Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Card Tables and Tea Tables
Lacquer
2010s British Scandinavian Modern Ottomans and Poufs
Walnut, Fabric, Bouclé
Antique Late 19th Century British Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Wood, Beech, Hickory
Antique Early 1900s British Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Hickory
Antique 17th Century Italian Baroque Bookcases
Spruce
Early 20th Century Scottish Edwardian Sports Equipment and Memorabilia
Steel
2010s American Minimalist Benches
Marble, Travertine, Steel, Brass
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Vintage 1930s French Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century American Modern Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century Country Settees
Leather
Early 20th Century British Empire Sofas
Leather
Late 20th Century North American Bohemian Loveseats
Leather
Antique 1890s English Late Victorian Armchairs
Leather
Vintage 1940s French Daybeds
Leather
Vintage 1960s American Living Room Sets
Leather, Naugahyde
Late 20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Canapes
Leather
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Secretaires
Wood, Teak
Vintage 1950s Swedish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Wool, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary English Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Oak
Early 20th Century British Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Sofas
20th Century French Sofas
Leather
20th Century Belgian Sofas
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Sofas
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Leather
Vintage 1950s English Sofas
Early 20th Century French Sofas
Early 20th Century British Victorian Sofas
Early 20th Century Sofas
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Lounge Chairs
Brass
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.
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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.