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Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

British

Howard Chairs Ltd, an iteration of the legendary English furniture firm Howard & Sons Ltd, created luxurious seating to fit just about any taste.

Established by cabinetmaker John Howard on Leman street in London in 1820, the company was later named Howard & Sons Ltd when John’s son, George, was brought into the fold — the moniker by which the company is best known. Between 1820 and 1848, the company moved their operations numerous times, broadening their range of offerings as they went and growing increasingly popular with Victorian-era consumers.

Ever-adaptable, Howard & Sons Ltd won a patent in 1865 for a method of applying a veneer to walls in place of wallpaper. Later, the firm applied their veneering technique to wooden floors and introduced parquet flooring into their branding. They added more patents over the years, including ceilings and floors finished in their veneering. Howard & Sons Ltd exhibited and won awards in the 1878 International Expo in Paris, the 1894 Expo in Antwerp and the 1900 Paris International Exposition.

Howard & Sons Ltd continued production until 1947. During the 1950s, a London decorating firm called Lenygon & Morant began to trade under the Howard name. The company re-emerged in 1967 as Howard Chairs Ltd. Today, the brand is again known again as Howard & Sons and carries on the tradition of creating bespoke furniture from their London-based workshop.

On 1stDibs, explore vintage Howard Chairs Ltd settees, armchairs and case pieces.

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Creator: Howard Chairs Ltd.
Fine Victorian Howard & Son's Claw & Ball Feet Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine, fully restored Howard & Son’s Berners Street London, large Baring sofa upholstered with new Fully Anilin...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Leather

Huge Restored Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine, fully restored Howard & Son’s Berners Street London, large Baring sofa upholstered with vintage brown le...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Leather

Antique Howard & Sons Aesthetic Movement Sofa Claw & Ball Feet Chinoiserie Fabic
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning exceptionally rare and original Howard & Son's circa 1880 two seat sofa with duvet feather padded arms and seat cushions, with Aesthetic movement ebonised frame and Claw & Ball feet in the original Chinese Chinoiserie upholstery. I have a large collection of very fine restored and original unrestored Howard & Son's seating listed under my other items. This is simply put the most comfortable sofa in the world, the arms back and base are all feather and fibre filled, you sink when seated in a similar manner to a very plump feather filled duvet. The upholstery is super rare original Victorian, heavily distressed, its Chinese Chinoiserie and has wonderful colours. The frame is period Victorian, it is the only Aesthetic movement ebonised frame I have seen and one of very few Claw & Ball examples as well. Howard & Sons are simply put are the finest sofa and armchair makers in history, the Queen even had a private collection. This piece is totally original and unrestored, it will only every be original once, as such I have left it as it is for the new owner to decide what to do with it, I can help with full restoration should the new owner wish. Dimensions Height:- 74cm Width:- 137cm Depth:- 77cm Seat height:- 44.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought-after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs, I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well-established decorators Lenygon and Morant...
Category

1880s English High Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

Large Vintage Howard & Son's Oxblood Leather Fully Stamped Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning, lightly restored vintage Oxblood leather Chesterfield Tufted club sofa by Howard & Son's which is fully stamped. This sofa is pre...
Category

20th Century English Victorian Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Leather

Important Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Chesterfield Sofa Inc Ticking Fabric
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale very rare, original Victorian circa 1860 Howard & Son’s Chesterfield sofa with the original ticking fabric and long, ...
Category

1860s English High Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Walnut

Unrestored Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Chesterfield Sofa Inc Ticking Fabric
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer very rare, original Victorian circa 1860 Howard & Son’s Chesterfield sofa with the original ticking fabric I actually have ...
Category

1860s English High Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Hardwood

Super Comfortable circa 1920 Howard & Son's Lenygon & Morant Ticking Fabric Sofa
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare original Howard & Son’s Lenygon & Morant sofa with the original ticking fabric This has to be the ...
Category

1920s English Victorian Vintage Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Upholstery

Antique Howard & Sons Portarlington Large Sofa Original Ticking Upholstery
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer this stunning exceptionally rare and original Howard & Son's circa 1910-1920 Portarlington three seat large sofa with duvet padded arms and feather and fibr...
Category

1910s English Edwardian Vintage Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Upholstery

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Previously Available Items
Fine Victorian Howard & Son's Claw & Ball Feet Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine, fully restored Howard & Son’s Berners Street London, large Baring sofa upholstered with new Fully Aniline cattle hide leather with hand carved Claw & Ball feet This is pretty much the finest sofa ever made, Howard & Son’s are known as simply put the makers of the most comfortable sofas in the world. This is a highly collectable Baring model, it has an extra deep seat that you can comfortably curl your legs up on and then some. The inside back left leg is stamped with the serial numbered Howard & Son's LTD Berners street This sofa has been on a journey of restoration, it came to me with all the fabric removed and ready for reupholstery, the feathers had all sagged and lost their plumpness so the first thing was to have the backs and sides refilled with down feathers, the sofa then went to my French polisher to have the woodwork washed back and traditionally French polished from the ground up, the piece then went back to the upholsterers to be fully upholstered, I have used a very fine Italian Cattle Hide leather, this is fully aniline leather which is upholstered plain, with this type of leather you can see the natural grain and patina of the hide for a more authentic Victorian look, we then had new feather filled seat cushions made and it was off to the leather polishers, to achieve this colour the piece had to be hand dyed six times, antiqued, sealed and then finally waxed down This is the finest quality and condition Howard & Son's sofa for sale anywhere in the world today bar none. Dimensions Height:- 86.5cm Width:- 194.5cm Depth:- 105cm Seat height:- 58.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well established decorators Lenygon and Morant appear to take over the name with the business address being given as 31 Old Burlington St (Lenygon and Morants...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Leather

Huge Restored Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine, fully restored Howard & Son’s Berners Street London, large Baring sofa upholstered with vintage brown leather that has Thomas Chippendale style floating button cushions Please note I have another of these which is in the process of being restored as we speak, it will be upholstered with all new leather and it has the duvet arms and back which are feather filled This is pretty much the finest sofa ever made, Howard & Son’s are known as simply put the makers of the most comfortable sofas in the world. This is a highly collectable baring model, it has an extra deep seat that you can comfortable curl your legs up on and then some. The cushions have oversized floating buttons, they have a fabric stitch pattern to them although they are solid. The inside back left leg is stamped with the serial numbered and the back right leg Howard & Son's LTD Berners street The sofa has been fully restored to including having the base lightly washed back and traditionally French polished, the leather has been totally washed back, hand dyed six times, antiqued, sealed, waxed down and polished, this is the only sofa in the world with this exact colour finish Dimensions Height:- 85.5cm Width:- 196cm Depth:- 108cm Seat height:- 47cm, seat width:- 156cm, seat depth:- 84.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well established decorators Lenygon and Morant appear to take over the name with the business address being given as 31 Old Burlington St (Lenygon and Morants...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Leather

Howard & Sons Fully Stamped Sofa Feather Filled Feather Cushions Howard Chairs
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer this stunning Howard & Son’s Bridgewater sofa with stamped back leg and original label This has to be the most comfortab...
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20th Century English Victorian Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

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Upholstery

Restored Victorian Howard & Son's Chesterfield Brown Leather Corner Sofa Chaise
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this very rare highly collectable Victorian circa 1870-1880 Howard & Son’s Berners Street, Walnut framed corner sofa chaise lounge with Chesterfiel...
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1870s English High Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

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Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Berners Street Small Two Seat Library Sofa
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning exceptionally rare and original early Howard & Son's circa 1840-1860 stamped small two seat sofa with duvet padded arms, feather fill...
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1840s English Early Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Upholstery, Walnut

Stunning Howard & Sons Victorian Walnut Framed Claw & Ball Legs Hand Carved Sofa
By Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard and Sons
Located in GB
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning exceptionally rare and original Howard & Son's circa 1860-1880 fully stamped three seat sofa with Claw & Ball legs, duvet padded arms...
Category

1860s English High Victorian Antique Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

Howard Chairs Ltd. settees for sale on 1stDibs.

Howard Chairs Ltd. settees are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Howard Chairs Ltd. settees, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original settees by Howard Chairs Ltd. were created in the Victorian style in united kingdom during the 19th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider settees by Howard and Sons, Howard & Sons Ltd, and Chesterfield. Prices for Howard Chairs Ltd. settees can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $14,248 and can go as high as $36,916, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $24,934.

Creators Similar to Howard Chairs Ltd.

Questions About Howard Chairs Ltd. Settees
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 22, 2024
    Howard chairs are so expensive largely due to their quality. The British furniture maker produces each piece to order using carefully selected upholstery, wood and padding. Skilled artisans painstakingly perform much of the manufacturing by hand, adding to the cost of pieces. Plus, demand for the furniture tends to be high, which also drives up the selling price. Shop a collection of Howard & Sons chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, all Howard and Sons chairs are stamped. However, the type and location of the stamp varies. You may see a name or number on a caster wheel or foot on some pieces. Others display the stamp on a paper label sewn onto the fabric. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of expertly vetted Howard and Sons chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    To spot an authentic Howard & Sons chair, first look for a name or number on the inside of the back foot. There may also be a paper label sewn into the hessian or a name stamp on the wheel. On 1stDibs, you can shop a collection of expertly vetted Howard & Sons chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.

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