$7,500
H 43.75 in W 71 in D 28.5 in
Scandinavian Sofa with Upholstered Dark Umber Mahogany Frame, circa 1915
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A handsome and comfortable early 20th century salon sofa with West Indies (Cuban) mahogany frame
Upholstery, Mahogany
Edwardian Serpentine Camel Back Sofa Circa 1915
Located in Bedford, NY
Recently reupholstered in a fine multi colored striped chenille. Mahogany legs with box wood inlay - 24"ht arm.
Art Deco Gondola Sofa in Cuban Mahogany, Circa 1915
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
Fantastic Art Deco sofa in a very fine Cuban mahogany, Denmark, circa 1915. Extremely fine, tight
Art Deco Sofa with French Polished Mahogany Frame, c. 1915
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
been restored and French polished. Sofa is part of a suite consisting of a pair of armchairs and a
Art Nouveau Green and Brown Sofa
By H.Pander & Zonen
Located in Weesp, NL
Sophisticated and elegant 1915 Art Nouveau two-seat sofa with a stained beech wood frame made by
Leather, Beech
Italian Futurist-era geometric sofa with cotton fabric grey
Located in Milano, IT
from the Futurist era, dating back to the dynamic period between 1910 and 1915. This sofa is not just a
Cotton, Wood
Pair of Italian Futurist-era geometric sofa with cotton fabric
Located in Milano, IT
Futurist-era sofa from the dynamic 1910-1915 period. These sofas are not just furniture, but embodiments of
Cotton, Wood
Sold
H 28.35 in W 48.43 in D 25.6 in
Viennese Secession Sofa J&J Kohn Nr.975, circa 1915, Josef Hoffmann
By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in company Jacob & Josef Kohn. Newly restored. Easier version of Nr.720 designed by Josef Hoffmann. Used textiles also design by Josef Hoffmann. In the production progra...
Bentwood
Robin day Forum three seater sofa for Habitat, 1980s
By Robin Day, Habitat International
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Walnut and black leather 'Forum' three seater sofa designed by Robin Day (1915 - 2010) for Habitat
Chrome
Sofa by Theo Ruth for Artifort , Model 109, 1950s
By Theo Ruth
Located in Delft, NL
Ruth (1915-1971). The sofa has been upholstered with yellow and black fabric and has a beautifully
Fabric, Wood
American Art Deco Wicker Server Sofa Table c.1915-20
Located in Atlanta, GA
This is a fabulous Art Deco wicker table. There is a wonderful design that continues down the legs. A braid wraps around the table top and there is a shelf on the bottom stretcher....
Reed, Wood, Paint
Art Nouveau Oak and Fabric Sofa for H. Pander & Zn
By H.Pander & Zonen
Located in Amstelveen, Noord
Elegant and sophisticated oak handmade two seat sofa by Pander & Sons in the Hague in 1915. The
Fabric, Oak
$4,900 / item
H 34 in W 86 in D 42 in
Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"
By Bloom Home Inc
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
This beautiful english arm sofa has a modern twist, with its single bench cushion, and beautiful curved apron sides. It’s upholstered in a Linen Velvet Performance fabric. Shown in...
Linen, Velvet
$42,500 / set
H 34.25 in W 24 in D 23 in
Four Louis XV Style Gilt-Wood Chinoiserie Bergères, Jansen Attr., 1890
By Maison Jansen
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Fine and Rare Assembled Set of Four French Louis XV Style Gilt-Wood Carved and Japanned-Chinoiserie Lacquer Decorated Bergers Armchairs, attributed to Maison Jansen (House of Janse...
Velvet, Giltwood, Lacquer
$26,000
H 102 in W 61.5 in D 79 in
English Georgian Mahogany Gadrooned and Upholstered Tester Bed, Circa 1800
Located in Charleston, SC
English Georgian mahogany four-poster bed with a carved molded inset headboard, tapered head post, serpentine gadrooned and upholstered tester with a centered carved urn & swags, dec...
Upholstery, Mahogany
$187,500
H 102 in W 84.5 in D 22.5 in
Exceptional 19th Century English Chinoiserie Pagoda Display Cabinet
Located in Houston, TX
Large-scale 19th century English display cabinet executed in the Chinoiserie tradition. Constructed in carved mahogany and conceived as a tripartite architectural façade, each glazed...
Glass, Mahogany
Vintage 19th Century Duncan Phyfe Sofa in Barrow Fabric
By Duncan Phyfe
Located in Saint Louis, US
An undeniably beautiful and coveted antique 19th Century Duncan Phyfe sofa upholstered in a feline Onyx Merramec Barrow fabric. One of the brilliant minds of the colonial America, Ph...
Fabric, Foam, Mahogany
$3,710Sale Price|30% Off
H 32.5 in W 85 in D 28 in
Antique 19th C. American Empire Flame Mahogany Claw Foot Parlor Sofa Couch 85"
Located in Dayton, OH
Fine American Empire parlor sofa / couch with classical form and masterful carvings. Made of flamed mahogany featuring carved back crest and flared rolled arms accented with carved f...
Mahogany, Burl
The Lily, Bespoke Handmade Belgian Linen Sofa
Located in Jesteburg, DE
Introducing the home collection. An iconic, unobtrusive design. A small selection of timeless Flemish designs made by hand for us in a small third generation workshop in Belgiu...
Linen
Maison Jansen Stamped Sofa, Louis XV Style, France
By Maison Jansen
Located in Montreal, Quebec
Rare Maison Jansen stamped French Louis XV style sofa with original grey patina, and clean lined cream upholstery. Lovely classical Louis XV shape, good width, seats three comfortabl...
Wood
American Mahogany Classical Swan Sofa, Philadelphia, Circa 1815
Located in Charleston, SC
American mahogany classical upholstered sofa with swans head arm rest, carved corner cornucopia, and terminating on ebonized lions paw feet. Philadelphia.
Pair of Italian Rococo Walnut Salon Sofas
Located in Houston, TX
Pair of large-scale Italian Rococo salon sofas carved in walnut. Each sofa features a continuous serpentine crest rail with symmetrical rocaille carving centered by a shell motif. Sc...
Walnut
$2,950
H 35 in W 85 in D 31 in
Antique American Empire Classical Carved Mahogany Paw Foot Cornucopia Arm Sofa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique American Empire Classical Carved Mahogany Paw Foot Cornucopia Arm Sofa. Item features carved paw feet with leafy cornucopia carvings, carved top rail, great antique sofa. Cir...
Mahogany
French Louis XVI Style Bergere Chairs
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Wonderful pair of Louis XVI style Bergere Chairs, they are large, strong and so confortable. The fabric is in very good condition.
Walnut
Empire Marquetry Sofa in Mahogany with Satinwood Inlays, circa 1820
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
A lovely and well-proportioned marquetry sofa with arched back, scroll arms and short Grecian curved legs in mahogany embellished with inlays of festoons, bows, tulips and foliage. N...
Satinwood, Upholstery, Mahogany, Tulipwood
$24,950 / set
H 38 in W 66 in D 28 in
Pair of Louis XVI Style Carved and Laqué Gilded Bergère Settees or Loveseats
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A pair of Louis XVI style carved and Laqué gilded bergère settees. The elegant pair of carved loveseats, upholstered in a blue velvet, with padded backs and sides and a cushion seat,...
Wood
Oak and Walnut Tester Bed
Located in New Orleans, LA
This lavish American oak and walnut tester bed exhibits superior craftsmanship and detail. The design is embellished by elaborate carving throughout in a neoclassical motif the inclu...
Silk, Mahogany, Oak, Walnut
19th Century Italian Walnut Sofa from Tuscany
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
Elegant early 19th Century Italian, Northern Tuscan, sofa. With gently curved back and gilded scroll details to each arm. Of walnut construction with hand carved details to each leg,...
Upholstery, Walnut
Black leather, silk velvet cushions, breathable bouclé fabric — when shopping for antique or vintage sofas, today’s couch connoisseurs have much to choose from in terms of style and shape. But it wasn’t always thus.
The sofa is typically defined as a long upholstered seat that features a back and arms and is intended for two or more people. While the term “couch” comes from the Old French couche, meaning to lie down, and sofa has Eastern origins, both are forms of divan, a Turkish word that means an elongated cushioned seat. Bench-like seating in Ancient Greece, which was padded with soft blankets, was called klinai. No matter how you spell it, sofa just means comfort, at least it does today.
In the early days of sofa design, upholstery consisted of horsehair or dried moss. Sofas that originated in countries such as France during the 17th century were more integral to decor than they were to comfort. Like most Baroque furnishings from the region, they frequently comprised heavy, gilded mahogany frames and were upholstered in floral Beauvais tapestry. Today, options abound when it comes to style and material, with authentic leather offerings and classy steel settees. Plush, velvet chesterfields represent the platonic ideal of coziness.
Vladimir Kagan’s iconic sofa designs, such as the Crescent and the Serpentine — which, like the sectional sofas of the 1960s created by furniture makers such as Harvey Probber, are quite popular among mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — showcase the spectrum of style available to modern consumers. Those looking to make a statement can turn to Studio 65’s lip-shaped Bocca sofa, which was inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí. Elsewhere, the furniture of the 1970s evokes an era when experimentation ruled, or at least provided a reason to break the rules. Just about every area of society felt a sudden urge to be wayward, to push boundaries — and buttons. Vintage leather sofas of that decade are characterized by a rare blending of the showy and organic.
With so many options, it’s important to explore and find the perfect furniture for your space. Paying attention to the lines of the cushions as well as the flow from the backrest into the arms is crucial to identifying a cohesive new piece for your home or office.
Fortunately, with styles from every era — and even round sofas — there’s a luxurious piece for every space. Deck out your living room with an Art Deco lounge or go retro with a nostalgic '80s design. No matter your sitting vision, the right piece is waiting for you in the expansive collection of unique sofas on 1stDibs.
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