Antiques Gilt Footstools
1870s French Louis XV Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Gold Leaf
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19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Onyx, Ormolu
1730s German Baroque Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
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21st Century and Contemporary Indian Mid-Century Modern Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Agate, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
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Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Linen, Wood, Paint
19th Century Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Poplar
Early 20th Century Louis XVI Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Mid-18th Century Italian Other Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
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Late 18th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Linen, Wood, Paint
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Upholstery, Giltwood
Late 18th Century Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
18th Century Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Walnut
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Bronze
18th Century Irish Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Giltwood, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Giltwood
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18th Century and Earlier Italian Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Wood, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Wood
Early 20th Century French Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Wood
17th Century Italian Baroque Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Leather, Walnut
18th Century and Earlier English Antique Antiques Gilt Footstools
Finding the Right footstools for You
Antique and vintage footstools might add a dose of fun to your living room, but they’re also hard workers.
Even as they’ve morphed into objects with plenty of functions over time, the footstool has a royal past. In Ancient Egypt, a footstool was used to climb onto an elevated chair or placed under someone’s feet as he or she was seated in a temple or private residence. Footstools were also in use during the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the ottoman, an upholstered seat or small bench that initially had no back or arms, was the main seating furniture in a home. Ottomans were a way to merge floor seating with cushions and mats.
Poufs, which originated in France, are also thought of as convenient seating furniture as well as occasionally serving as a side table, if needed. (Although, a pouf is typically not as firm as an ottoman.)
Over the years, footstools have taken on varying purposes. They have been used as small portable chairs, for example.
During the 18th century, a footstool might have been long with a low profile, which rendered it perfect for fireside seating. Victorian footstools were small but not unassuming, as furniture makers of the era would upholster the pieces so that they paired with the nearby sofa or wingback chairs. Footstools have even become a storage solution at home, with designers outfitting them with compartments. Today, a footstool might be used to organize quilts and blankets or other textiles, especially if you’re trying to keep things uncluttered in a small apartment.
Footstools are now available in all sorts of provocative colors, upholstery and more. No one is going to put a velvet footstool out on the curb, right? When shopping for your own footstool, try to find one that meets the height of your sofa or other seating (or is a tad lower). It should also be sturdy but not a heavy, clunky piece that’s a chore to move around.
The footstool is both decorative and functional. Not unlike a good throw pillow, interior designers have found numerous uses for this versatile, vibrant furnishing. Find yours in the growing collection of antique and vintage footstools today on 1stDibs.
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