Charles Rohlfs
Early 20th Century American Mission Armchairs
Leather, Oak
20th Century American Mission Armchairs
Wood, Leather
Antique 1880s English Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Oak
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2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
Antique 1870s French Gothic Revival Credenzas
Oak
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Sideboards
Copper
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Wood
Early 20th Century Dutch Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Raffia, Oak
Antique Mid-19th Century American Federal Dining Room Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Dining Room Tables
Oak
Mid-20th Century French Gothic Dining Room Chairs
Oak
Antique Late 19th Century Dutch Gothic Revival Wall Brackets
Wood, Oak
Antique Early 1900s European Gothic Revival Religious Items
Metal
Late 20th Century American Colonial Dining Room Tables
Maple
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Sofas
Velvet
Antique 19th Century European Gothic Revival Religious Items
Iron
Vintage 1930s French Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
Rope, Wood
Antique Early 1900s American Arts and Crafts Table Lamps
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Rope, Beech
Recent Sales
Antique Late 19th Century Belgian Paintings
Mid-20th Century American Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Wood
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.
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