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
Fabric, Foam, Mahogany
Duncan Phyfe Upholstered Camel Back Sofa, 19th Century
Located in Savannah, GA
Duncan Phyfe upholstered camel back sofa, 19th century. Down cushion seat. Seat depth is 24”. New
Upholstery
Regency Style Linen Upholstered Sofa with Giltwood Feet
By Duncan Phyfe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A Regency style newly upholstered sofa in a high quality Belgium linen and finished with nailhead
Linen, Giltwood, Wood
Tiffany Studios “Curtain Border” Floor Lamp 1899-1920
By Tiffany Studios
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Tiffany Studios “Curtain Border” Floor Lamp 1899-1920 "Scroll" Senior floor base and "Pig Tail" finial leaded glass, patinated bronze 78 in. (198.1 cm) high 24 1/2 in. (62.2 cm) dia...
Glass
Murano Glass Ivory Eight Arm Chandelier
Located in Austin, TX
Chandelier made of ivory colored Murano glass with eight branches. We love the classic lines and modern details of this hand-blown fixture. It has been newly wired to fit US standard...
Murano Glass
Antique Chinese Carved Camphor wood Trunk Coffer 20th Century
Located in London, GB
This is a stunning antique Chinese camphor wood trunk with brass fittings, and featuring an interesting desert scape scene, circa 1920 in date. Elaborately detailed, the trunk has ...
Wood
Petit-Monsigny Art Deco Ibis Sculpture Table Lamp, 1920
By A. Petit Monsigny
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
French Art Deco Bronze Sculpture Table Lamp by Adolphe Petit-Monsigny, circa 1920. An exceptional French Art Deco table lamp, circa 1920, showcasing a stunning bronze sculpture by th...
Alabaster, Bronze
Japanese Fortune Manekineko Lucky Cat Object 1980s Showa
Located in Paris, FR
This is a manekineko cat object. It is made with porcelain and it was made around 1980s in Showa era. Dimensions. 8 x 8.5 x H13 cm The maneki-neko is a common Japanese figurine ...
Porcelain
Verner Panton 'Easy' Sofa for Verpan
By Verner Panton
Located in Tilburg, NL
Verner Panton 'Easy' sofa for Verpan. Designed in 1963. New, current production. With its round shapes and layered design, the Easy collection stands out as one of the most visual...
Fabric
Modernist Sculpted Walnut Gondola Sofa by Adrian Pearsall
By Adrian Pearsall
Located in Buffalo, NY
The aptly named Adrian Pearsall Gondola Sofa is bold in its design, so clearly translating the character of a Venetian gondola to create a unique silhouette in a sophisticated living...
Fabric, Walnut
Montgomery 3-Seater Quilted Yellow Soft by Studio 63
By Marioni
Located in Milan, IT
Hypnotizing with its eccentric sculptural silhouette, this stylish three-seater sofa is a statement-making design sure not to go unnoticed. The rigorous profiles characterizing the b...
Textile
Wharton Esherick Curved Sofa 1958
By Wharton Esherick
Located in Chicago, IL
This Sofa by Wharton Esherick exemplifies his pioneering role in the American Craft Movement. This is his first sofa design, one of Four ever made. Known for his dedication to organ...
Poplar, Tulipwood, Walnut
Ettore Zaccari lounge sofa in ebonized wood Italy 1930s
By Ettore Zaccari
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Crafted in Ettore Zaccari's own workshop in Italy during the 1930s, this exquisite lounge sofa is a testament to the remarkable skill and artistry of its creator. The sofa is finishe...
Fabric, Ash
Pair of Egyptian Revival Chaises
By HENDRIX ALLARDYCE
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A pair of Egyptian Revival painted Lion or paw foot wood front feet with woven leather. These are likely made by Hendrix and Allardyce, a California design firm, in the late 1990s or...
Leather, Wood
English William IV Carved Sofa, 19th Century
Located in Sherborne, GB
This superb William IV sofa is of fine quality and elegant form. It comprises of a mahogany frame and features an elegant shaped top rail, Egyptian revival arms and laurel leaf carve...
Upholstery, Mahogany
Harvey Probber American Mid-Century Green Velvet Round Sofa
By Harvey Probber
Located in Queens, NY
American Mid-Century large round sofa with a low curved partial backrest and emerald green velvet upholstery with a button tufted removable seat cushion, resting on five short brass ...
Metal, Brass
Raffaella Bio Red and Orange 3-Seater Sofa
By Biosofa
Located in Milan, IT
This luxurious sofa is smooth to the touch and ultra-comfortable. The deep seats and soft fabric make sinking in true pleasure. Rafael's angular profile gives this revival style a mo...
Velvet
Pair of French Walnut Library Ladders
Located in Queens, NY
Pair of French (19th Century) walnut library ladders with side railings and steps leading to a top platform (on casters) (attributed to Napoleon III's personal library) (Related item...
Walnut
RAFAELLA BIO ANGULAR SOFA by Biosofa
By Biosofa
Located in Milan, IT
Rafael's angular profile gives this revival style a modern twist, and its plush cushions add comfort to the sofa. Perfect for lounging in the evening, Rafael is a delightfully cozy a...
Velvet
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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