Antique Banister Back Chairs
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Banister Back Chairs
Pine
1790s American Adirondack Antique Banister Back Chairs
Rush, Wood
Late 19th Century French French Provincial Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Banister Back Chairs
Velvet, Giltwood
Early 19th Century American Neoclassical Antique Banister Back Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany, Oak
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Early 20th Century English Country Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Regency Antique Banister Back Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century English Queen Anne Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary British Georgian Antique Banister Back Chairs
Oak, Rush
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Banister Back Chairs
Pine
19th Century Victorian Antique Banister Back Chairs
Elm
Mid-20th Century Neoclassical Antique Banister Back Chairs
Iron
Mid-18th Century English Queen Anne Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood, Walnut
1760s English George III Antique Banister Back Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century American Late Victorian Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood
19th Century British Country Antique Banister Back Chairs
Rush, Wood
1890s French Louis XVI Antique Banister Back Chairs
Tapestry, Mahogany
Late 19th Century British Antique Banister Back Chairs
Elm
Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Banister Back Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Walnut
Mid-18th Century English Country Antique Banister Back Chairs
Linen, Oak
Recent Sales
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
Pine
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Late Victorian Antique Banister Back Chairs
Oak
1820s American Antique Banister Back Chairs
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
Wood, Paint, Rush
Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Banister Back Chairs
Papercord, Wood
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
Late 18th Century American Country Antique Banister Back Chairs
Ash, Maple
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Banister Back Chairs
19th Century Antique Banister Back Chairs
Fruitwood
Early 1800s American American Classical Antique Banister Back Chairs
Cane, Mahogany
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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This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
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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.