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Karl Springer Style Round Dining or Game Table with Pedestal Base
Karl Springer Style Round Dining or Game Table with Pedestal Base

Karl Springer Style Round Dining or Game Table with Pedestal Base

By Karl Springer

Located in Chicago, IL

Could be used as a dining table or as a game table. The chairs that were purchased with the table (upholstered barrel back chairs on swivels) are available in a separate listing.

Category

Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Tables

Materials

Wood, Lacquer

Woodard Rose Pattern Blue Wrought Iron Barrel Back Garden Chair Table - 3 Pc Set
Woodard Rose Pattern Blue Wrought Iron Barrel Back Garden Chair Table - 3 Pc Set

Woodard Rose Pattern Blue Wrought Iron Barrel Back Garden Chair Table - 3 Pc Set

By Woodard Furniture Co.

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Vintage Woodard Barrel Back Blue Wrought Iron Rose Pattern Garden Arm Chairs & Table Set.

Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets

Materials

Wrought Iron

Early 19th Century French Folk Art Barrel-Back Armchair
Early 19th Century French Folk Art Barrel-Back Armchair

Early 19th Century French Folk Art Barrel-Back Armchair

Located in Chicago, IL

The chair's barrel-back design offers both comfort and visual appeal, enveloping the sitter in a cocoon of exquisite craftsmanship.

Category

Antique Early 19th Century French Folk Art Armchairs

Materials

Walnut

1980s Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Bronze & Fabric Bucket Desk Chairs 2x
1980s Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Bronze & Fabric Bucket Desk Chairs 2x

1980s Ward Bennett for Brickel Associates Bronze & Fabric Bucket Desk Chairs 2x

By Brickel Associates, Ward Bennett

Located in Philadelphia, PA

This is a single sculptural barrel-back desk chair, retaining its original blue fabric upholstered seat, and resting on a bronze 5-point base with Shepherd Profile casters.

Category

Vintage 1980s American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs

Materials

Fabric

Ebonized Barrel Back Four Seat Sofa and Lounge Chair in New Bouclé, USA, 1970's
Ebonized Barrel Back Four Seat Sofa and Lounge Chair in New Bouclé, USA, 1970's

Ebonized Barrel Back Four Seat Sofa and Lounge Chair in New Bouclé, USA, 1970's

Located in Deland, FL

Attention designers! Equal parts comfort and style this extraordinary lounge chair and sofa set has recently undergone a comprehensive and transformative restoration that features ne...

Category

Vintage 1970s Unknown Mid-Century Modern Sofas

Materials

Oak

Swiveling Armchair by Milo Baughman for Thayer-Coggins, 1960s
Swiveling Armchair by Milo Baughman for Thayer-Coggins, 1960s

Swiveling Armchair by Milo Baughman for Thayer-Coggins, 1960s

Located in Sagaponack, NY

A sculptural and well balanced swiveling and tilting upholstered barrel-back lounge chair having encircling forms rising from round walnut disc bases.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Swivel Chairs

Materials

Upholstery

Louis XVI Style Mahogany & Flemish Style Needlepoint Tapestry Bergère, C. 1880s
Louis XVI Style Mahogany & Flemish Style Needlepoint Tapestry Bergère, C. 1880s

Louis XVI Style Mahogany & Flemish Style Needlepoint Tapestry Bergère, C. 1880s

Located in Germantown, MD

A 19th Century Louis XVI Style Barrel Back Bergere Chair Covered in Flemish Style Needlepoint Upholstery, Having Shaped Back, Oval Shape with Double Carved Ribbon at Apex, Needlepo...

Category

Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Bergere Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Tapestry, Mahogany

Mid-Century Barrel Lounge Chair with Ottoman by Dunbar
Mid-Century Barrel Lounge Chair with Ottoman by Dunbar

Mid-Century Barrel Lounge Chair with Ottoman by Dunbar

By Dunbar Furniture

Located in Raleigh, NC

Mid-century barrel back lounge chair and ottoman attributed to Dunbar.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Fabric, Foam, Wood

ANTiQUE GEORGE SMITH LATE 18TH CENTURY GRECIAN REVIVAL STYLE CARVED ARMCHAIR
ANTiQUE GEORGE SMITH LATE 18TH CENTURY GRECIAN REVIVAL STYLE CARVED ARMCHAIR

ANTiQUE GEORGE SMITH LATE 18TH CENTURY GRECIAN REVIVAL STYLE CARVED ARMCHAIR

By George Smith

Located in West Sussex, Pulborough

He is best known for his 1808 publication, A Collection of Designs for Household Furniture and Interior Decoration, which popularized Egyptian, Greek, and Roman motifs in English fur...

Category

20th Century English Georgian Armchairs

Materials

Upholstery, Oak

Lounge Tub Barrel Chair in Walnut & Vinyl After Finn Andersen, USA, c. 1960s
Lounge Tub Barrel Chair in Walnut & Vinyl After Finn Andersen, USA, c. 1960s

Lounge Tub Barrel Chair in Walnut & Vinyl After Finn Andersen, USA, c. 1960s

By Finn Andersen

Located in Deland, FL

A rare and beautifully restored pair of barrel-back lounge chairs designed by Finn Andersen for Selig, these pieces combine sculptural form with sumptuous comfort.

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs

Materials

Walnut

20th Century English Red Leather Wing Chair
20th Century English Red Leather Wing Chair

20th Century English Red Leather Wing Chair

Located in Gloucestershire, GB

20th Century English, red leather pleated barrel back wing chair. Dating from around 1930, the leather has probably been replaced at some point as its in very good condition.

Category

Mid-20th Century English Georgian Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

Antique Victorian Wicker Rattan Bentwood Sculptural Sunroom Sofa Set with Chairs
Antique Victorian Wicker Rattan Bentwood Sculptural Sunroom Sofa Set with Chairs

Antique Victorian Wicker Rattan Bentwood Sculptural Sunroom Sofa Set with Chairs

Located in Philadelphia, PA

Antique Victorian Wicker Rattan Bentwood Sculptural Sunroom Sofa Set with Chairs. Listing includes (1) sleek sculptural sofa (1) barrel back lounge chair (1) rocking chair, blue upho...

Category

Early 20th Century Victorian Sofas

Materials

Wicker, Rattan, Bentwood

Pair of Rare Viennese Secession Geometric Leather Tub Armchairs
Pair of Rare Viennese Secession Geometric Leather Tub Armchairs

Pair of Rare Viennese Secession Geometric Leather Tub Armchairs

By Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser

Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj

An extraordinary and exceptionally rare pair of early 20th-century Viennese Secession barrel-back armchairs (tub chairs), attributed to Josef Hoffmann (Vienna / Central Europe, circa...

Category

Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Armchairs

Materials

Leather, Beech

McGuire Organic Modern Rattan Pencil Reed Round Dining Table
McGuire Organic Modern Rattan Pencil Reed Round Dining Table

McGuire Organic Modern Rattan Pencil Reed Round Dining Table

By McGuire

Located in Rio Vista, CA

Matching set of McGuire barrel-back pencil reed rattan dining chairs also available.

Category

20th Century American Organic Modern Dining Room Tables

Materials

Rattan, Reed, Hardwood, Formica, Medium Density Fibreboard (MDF)

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Barrel Back Chair For Sale on 1stDibs

At 1stDibs, there are many versions of the ideal barrel back chair for your home. Frequently made of fabric, wood and upholstery, every barrel back chair was constructed with great care. Find 860 options for an antique or vintage barrel back chair now, or shop our selection of 16 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. Whether you’re looking for an older or newer barrel back chair, there are earlier versions available from the 18th Century and newer variations made as recently as the 21st Century. A barrel back chair is a generally popular piece of furniture, but those created in Mid-Century Modern, Modern and Hollywood Regency styles are sought with frequency. Many designers have produced at least one well-made barrel back chair over the years, but those crafted by Milo Baughman, Thayer Coggin and Selig are often thought to be among the most beautiful.

How Much is a Barrel Back Chair?

A barrel back chair can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price 1stDibs is $3,800, while the lowest priced sells for $275 and the highest can go for as much as $22,500.

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.

Questions About Barrel Back Chair

  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Reupholster a barrel back chair by first removing the old upholstery from the chair. Use the old pieces of material as a guide to help you cut the new upholstery into properly sized pieces. Reupholster the chair by using a furniture stapler to re-secure the new upholstery in the same manner that the old upholstery was attached. Shop a range of vintage and contemporary barrel back chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Barrel chairs are accent chairs that feature a curved back shaped like half of a barrel. In some cases, the back slopes down at the sides to form arms. Other pieces are armless or have separate rolled arms at the sides. You'll find a variety of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertAugust 16, 2019

    Barrel chairs have high, semicircular backs which form a single piece with the arms.

  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
    The earliest barrel chairs are from is the era of the early 19th century. However, Frank Lloyd Wright created one of the most famous barrel chairs in 1937 as a part of his design for Wingspread, a home in Wind Point, Wisconsin. On 1stDibs, find a collection of barrel chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
    No one knows who invented the barrel chair originally, or even where the chairs appeared first. They became popular during the mid to late 19th century, but it was Frank Lloyd Wright who made them famous when he designed an iconic version for Wingspread, a home he designed in Wind Point, Wisconsin. Wright also used his Taliesin Barrel chair to furnish his own home in Wisconsin. Shop a selection of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    A Windsor back chair is a solid wooden chair with an arched spindle back. Most designs have curved arms positioned on angled stands and carved legs connected by a cross stretcher. The chair gets its name from the English city of Windsor, where the chairs were first made in the 18th century. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of Windsor back chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024
    The back of a chair is called a chair back. In some cases, you may see people use modifiers to describe the styles of chair backs. For example, a chair with two crisscrossing cross rails is an X-back or cross back, while a chair with a series of horizontal cross rails positioned parallel to one another is a ladder back. Explore a wide range of chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
    A splat back chair is a chair with a vertical central element on its back. Splat back chairs have more of a formal feel to them compared to other types of chairs and seating. Splat back Windsor chairs are popular on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Yoke back chairs are those that feature a curved top rail and a single central splat. The style of chair originated in China during the 10th century and was a common feature in Chinese homes by the 12th century. On 1stDibs, shop a range of yoke back chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A bow back chair refers to a silhouette of a chair with a curved back and is usually made with high-quality wood. Bow back chairs were popular during the colonial period and are representative of American-Amish heritage. Browse a range of vintage bow back chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A channel back chair is a chair that features deep channels in the upholstery along the back. These can create a seashell-like effect. This kind of back may also be called a fluted back. On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage and new channel back chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A lyre back chair is a type of furniture used for seating that originated during the early 18th century. It features a square back embellished with wood shaped like a lyre, an ancient stringed musical instrument. On 1stDibs, find a variety of lyre back chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertNovember 2, 2021
    A low-back chair is designed to provide lumbar support to the lower back and mid-back. These chairs have a small backrest that reaches till the middle of one's back. Shop a collection of antique, vintage and contemporary low back chairs from some of the world’s top dealers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A comb back chair is a style of chair featuring a back resembling a comb. Comb back chairs are also known as Windsor chairs and are typically crafted with a cage-like backing. Shop a selection of comb back chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A balloon back chair is a specific type of seat that became popular during the Victorian era. It features a curved back that tapers as it travels down to the seat. Many balloon back chairs are armless, and nearly all examples feature upholstered seats. You'll find a range of balloon back chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021
    A sling chair is usually made up of a framework connected by ropes or fabric hanging between the poles or frame. This design results in a structure quite similar to a sling stretcher.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    A spoon back chair is an accent chair that features a deep curved back that forms arms along the sides of the furniture by sloping downward. Most spoon back chairs have wooden backs and upholstered seats. Find a variety of spoon back chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Countless chair styles have incorporated rounded backs over the centuries, including the famous club chair. Some interior designers favor round-back chairs for their sleek curvatures. Shop a collection of rounded back chairs from some of the world’s top sellers Oon 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertOctober 12, 2021
    A high back office chair has a tall backrest to provide support to both your back and neck. It helps minimize the risk of chronic neck and back problems. These chairs also come with wheels attached for ease of mobility. Shop a range of antique and vintage high back office chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    While cane back chairs have been made around the globe for thousands of years, it was in the 1970s that this style took the world by storm and became a must for many households. It’s the organic, natural look of a cane back chair that made it so desirable and that makes it a modern furniture element as well, with its tropical vibe and vacation attitude. Shop a collection of cane back chairs from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.