$4,170
H 36 in W 93.5 in D 28.5 in
Likely Circa 1825–40 Antique American Classical, Empire Style, White Sofa!
Located in Austin, TX
Stunning Likely Circa 1825–40 Antique American Classical, Empire Style, White Sofa! Antique Sofa
Fabric, Wood
$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
Mahogany
$2,500
H 33 in W 81 in D 26 in
Antique American Empire Classical Carved Mahogany Paw Foot Rolled Arm Sofa
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique American Empire Classical Carved Mahogany Paw Foot Rolled Arm Sofa. Item features carved
Mahogany
$4,240Sale Price|20% 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, Burl
American Empire Classical Sofa
Located in Dallas, TX
American Empire mahogany classical sofa, having hairy paw crouching lions claw feet front and back
Mahogany
Classical Sofa, Mid-Atlantic, circa 1810
Located in Alexandria, VA
original finish. This classical style sofa is newly reupholstered and hand-tacked with brass nailhead trim
Sold
H 33 in W 86 in D 30 in
Antique Joseph Meeks & Co. Flame Mahogany Classical Empire Sofa, 19th Century
By Joseph Meeks
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Classical Empire sofa by Joseph Meeks & Co. features flame mahogany frame with scroll arms
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 33.5 in W 89 in D 25 in
Classical American Empire Grecian Carved Flame Mahogany Cornucopia Sofa
Located in Big Flats, NY
Classical American Empire sofa features flame mahogany frame with deeply striated back rail flanked
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 33.5 in W 77.5 in D 26 in
Antique American Empire Classical Mahogany Scroll Arm Sofa, 19th Century
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique American Empire classical sofa offers mahogany frame with carved scrolled crest
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 34 in W 91 in D 23 in
Classical American Empire Carved Flame Mahogany Scroll Form Sofa, circa 1840
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Classical American Empire flame mahogany sofa offers shaped back with curved scroll form
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 36 in W 77 in D 26 in
Antique 19th Century American Empire Flame Mahogany Claw Foot Classical Sofa 77"
Located in Dayton, OH
Fine American Empire sofa with striking form and masterful carving, New York; circa 1820s. Made of
Upholstery, Mahogany
American Empire Classical Greco Mahogany Hairy Paw Foot Sofa C1860
Located in Big Flats, NY
Classical Greco Mahogany Hairy Paw Foot Sofa C1860 Measures - 34"h x 90"w x 25"d
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 37.75 in W 57 in D 25.25 in
Antique American Empire Classical Greco Figural Gooseneck Mahogany Sofa c1840
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique American Empire Classical Greco figural sofa offers mahogany frame with scroll form
Mahogany, Upholstery
Sold
H 40.5 in W 90.5 in D 27.5 in
Philadelphia Neoclassical Empire Sofa, Attributable to Joseph Barry, circa 1830
By Joseph Barry
Located in INTERLAKEN, NY
Anything but demure, this handsome and beautifully-crafted neoclassical sofa from Philadelphia is
Brass, Ormolu
Sold
H 35 in W 79 in D 26 in
Antique Pair First Period American Empire Carved Flame Mahogany Sofas, NY
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique First Period American Empire classical pair matching sofas feature carved mahogany frame
Upholstery, Mahogany
Antique American Empire Neoclassical Greco Flame Mahogany Sofa c1840
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique American Empire Classical Greco sofa offers upholstered mahogany construction with
Upholstery, Mahogany
Continental Maple Upholstered Sofa
Located in Sheffield, MA
, neoclassical sofa, classical sofa, biedermeier style sofa, empire style sofa.
Maple
Antique Classical American Empire Carved Flame Mahogany Upholstered Sofa
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique classical American Empire upholstered sofa features flame mahogany frame with scroll
Upholstery, Mahogany
Antique American Empire Classical Carved Flame Mahogany Scroll Arm Sofa
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique American Empire Classical flame mahogany sofa features carved acanthus scrolled arms and
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 41 in W 86 in D 33 in
Antique Meeks School American Empire Classical Carved Mahogany Sofa, circa 1840
By Joseph Meeks
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Meeks School American Empire Classical upholstered carved mahogany sofa features arms with
Upholstery, Mahogany
Sold
H 35 in W 90 in D 26 in
Stunning Gianni Versace Fabric Covered American First Period Empire Carved Sofa
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A stunning sight. The first period American classically fashioned Empire sofa (Like New York) with
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Giltwood
Classical (American Empire) Sofa
Located in Alexandria, VA
Scroll arms upholstered underneath – sea serpent feet typical of Quervelle's work - inlay panels on back rail - outstanding carving.
Mahogany
A Swedish Empire Sofa with Gilt Detailing circa 1790
Located in London, GB
A Swedish Empire Sofa with Classical Gilt Detailing Upholstered by Talisman circa 1790
Upholstery
$8,290 / set
H 43.31 in W 71.66 in D 29.53 in
Seating Set of Baroque Sofa and Two Armchairs, Budapest, 1870s
Located in Budapest, HU
Beautiful baroque seating set consisting of a sofa and two armchairs. Extraordinary workmanship of the woods made according to the canons of the time. Measures sofa: Depth 75 cm,...
Velvet, Wood
Classical Carved Marble Stone Sink Basin
Located in Cranbrook, Kent
Italian Classical Carved Sink Basin This timeless beautiful Italian classical sink is cut from one single block of white marble with added carved relief detail, these designs have no...
Marble
$2,191Sale Price|60% Off
H 3.94 in W 59.06 in D 59.06 in
Handcrafted Fox Fur Throw by J.M. Barnardo, Silk Lined, Modern Design
By Fendi
Located in Glasgow, GB
Handcrafted fox fur throw, produced in 2012 by the Irish furriers J.M. Barnardo & Son. The throw/blanket is composed of eight crystal fox fur pelts, selected for uniformity of qu...
Fur, Silk
$2,734
H 29.93 in W 66.93 in D 26.38 in
French Louis Philippe Bench Seat Wood Sofa or Banquette French 19th Midcentury
Located in Labrit, Landes
Louis Philippe banquette or sofa on wheels Carved with floral decorations and canelures. France circa 1840 Good seating with springs. The fabric can be used as such, but if you wish,...
Upholstery, Wood
$4,200
H 36 in W 37 in D 21 in
19th Century French Louis XVI Style Oversized Bergere Marquise Armchair
Located in Charleston, SC
19th century French Louis XVI style bergère marquise upholstered armchair in painted wood frame with neoclassical architecture embellished hand-carved foliates, rosettes and tapered ...
Fabric, Wood, Paint
$4,928
H 31 in W 90 in D 35 in
A Very Smart Late 20thC Leather Chesterfield 4 Seater Sofa - Dark Chestnut Brown
Located in London, GB
As a furniture maker and LAPADA dealer we have not only pieces that we craft from our own collection but in addition, around 350 pieces of leather chesterfield furniture dating throu...
Leather
Murano Glass Table Lamp by Carlon Nason, 1970s, Italy
By Carlo Nason
Located in Hagenbach, DE
This striking Murano glass table lamp, designed by Carlo Nason in the 1970s, is a remarkable example of Italian mid-century modern lighting design. Crafted in Italy, the lamp feature...
Murano Glass
$5,000
H 9.41 in W 6.11 in D 3.39 in
Louis-Albert Carvin Marabou Sculpture-shaped Table Lamp or Night-light 1920
By Louis-Albert Carvin
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Rare Marabou Sculpture-Shaped Table Lamp or Night-Light by Louis-Albert Carvin, France, 1920s Spelter & Frosted Glass. A rare and exquisite French Art Deco table lamp or night-ligh...
Spelter
$3,595
H 80.5 in W 35 in D 15.75 in
Georgian Chinoiserie Black Lacquered Hand-Painted Drop Front Secretary Desk
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
An exceptional Georgian Hollywood Regency Chinoiserie style bureau with drop front secretary desk and lighted bookcase hutch top In the manner of Baker Furniture By Jasper Cabinet ...
Brass
1920s French Art Deco Burl Walnut Full Size Bed Frame
Located in Astoria, NY
A French Art Deco bed frame, dating from the early 20th century, sourced in Provence, France. Richly crafted with dramatic burl walnut veneers and floral marquetry inlays, the piece ...
Brass
$4,125
H 85 in W 46.5 in D 13 in
1980s Georgian Style Chinese Chippendale Red & Gilt Chinoiserie Display Cabinet
Located in Kennesaw, GA
This is a Georgian Chinese Chippendale style red and gilt painted display cabinet or vitrine. It is two pieces with two adjustable interior glass shelves. The pieces has elaborate fr...
Brass
$76,987
H 2.1 in W 1.5 in D 1 in
Miniature illuminated manuscript on vellum with 12 full-page miniatures
By Francois-Jacques Boeri
Located in ZWIJNDRECHT, NL
A tiny and complete Parisian Book of Hours with a plethora of intricate illuminations. 91 x 65mm (3.6 x 2.6in). 190 leaves on vellum, additional 4 paper leaves after (plus 3 paper e...
Leather
Italian Murano Art Glass Fruit Bookends
By Alfredo Barbini
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful and substantial pair of Italian Murano pear and peach fruit bookends or decorative object sculptures, circa mid to late-20th century, Italy. These beautiful Murano art gl...
Art Glass, Blown Glass, Murano Glass
$1,760Sale Price / set|37% Off
H 20.5 in W 5.25 in D 4.5 in
Pair of Petite Chinese Blue and White Lamps
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Petite Chinese Blue and White Lamps. Lotus, Dragon and Phoenix pattern. 11″ to top of vase. 20.5″ h to shade rest. 5.25″ x 4.5″ base.
Porcelain
$185,000 / set
H 12 in W 12 in D 10 in
A 200 Plus Set of 19 Century Imperial Russian Silver Flatware by Andrei Bragin
By Andrei Bragin
Located in Vancouver, British Columbia
An exceptional and extremely rare set of a combination of silver and vermeil (gilded silver) flatware designed and crafted in St Petersburg Russia by Andrei Stepanovich Bragin d...
Silver, Vermeil
Danish Designer, Curved Sofa, Wood, Fabric, Denmark, 1940s
Located in High Point, NC
A curved yellow fabric and wood sofa designed and produced in Denmark, c. 1940s.' Seat height: 15.75” All upholstered furniture can be reupholstered upon request for an additional ...
Fabric, Wood
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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