Empire Hardwood Armchairs
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Cherry, Walnut
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood
Antique Early 1800s Hungarian Empire Armchairs
Brass, Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Empire Armchairs
Hardwood, Mahogany, Satinwood
Antique Mid-19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Cherry
Mid-20th Century American Empire Dining Room Chairs
Fabric, Cherry
20th Century Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Wood, Beech
Antique 1820s French Empire Armchairs
Cherry
20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Antique 1810s Danish Empire Armchairs
Mahogany, Velvet, Wood, Fruitwood
2010s Italian Empire Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood
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Velvet, Walnut
2010s Austrian Jugendstil Chandeliers and Pendants
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
Metal
Vintage 1920s German Bauhaus Armchairs
Beech, Plywood
Antique 19th Century English Georgian Chairs
Cherry, Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Card Tables and Tea Tables
Lacquer
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Armchairs
Wood, Velvet
Antique Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Sofas
Fabric, Satinwood
1980s Pop Art Figurative Drawings and Watercolors
Polymer, Paper
Antique Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Dining Room Chairs
Birch
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Chairs
Walnut
Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XIV Jewelry Boxes
Brass, Bronze
Antique Late 19th Century British Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Oak
Antique 1890s German Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
2010s British Louis XVI Sofas
Beech
Recent Sales
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech
Antique Early 19th Century Austrian Empire Bergere Chairs
Fruitwood
Antique Late 18th Century Italian Empire Armchairs
Gold Leaf
Antique 19th Century French Empire Bergere Chairs
Fruitwood
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Cherry
Late 20th Century American Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood, Fabric
Antique 19th Century Swedish Empire Armchairs
Beech
Antique Late 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Mahogany, Satinwood
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Cherry, Upholstery
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Empire Armchairs
Mahogany, Satinwood
Antique Early 19th Century Danish Empire Armchairs
Cane, Mahogany, Satinwood
Early 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Beech
Antique 1810s Italian Empire Armchairs
Cherry
Antique Early 19th Century Italian Empire Armchairs
Cherry
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Antique Early 19th Century English Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood
Antique 19th Century Empire Armchairs
Wood, Fruitwood
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Wicker, Hardwood
Antique 1810s Danish Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood, Mahogany
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech
Antique 19th Century Russian Empire Armchairs
Elm
Mid-20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Upholstery, Cherry
Antique Early 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Beech, Giltwood
Antique 19th Century Italian Empire Armchairs
Calico, Beech
20th Century Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Antique 1810s Danish Empire Armchairs
Pearwood
Antique 1810s French Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Cherry
Late 20th Century Empire Armchairs
Cherry, Leather
Antique Early 19th Century Dutch Empire Armchairs
Fabric, Fruitwood, Mahogany, Wood
Antique 1870s French Empire Armchairs
Bronze
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Cherry
Antique 19th Century American Empire Armchairs
Chestnut, Upholstery
Antique 19th Century French Empire Armchairs
Fruitwood
Empire Hardwood Armchairs For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are Empire Hardwood Armchairs?
A Close Look at Empire Furniture
From 1804–15, Napoléon I reigned as the emperor of France, bringing the country into a new era of opulence after the fall of the monarchy and the tumultuous years of the French Revolution. He declared, “We must have very solid things, made to last 100 years.” Empire-style furniture followed suit, with imposing pieces constructed from mahogany and adorned with gilded ornaments. Expanding on the neoclassicism popularized in the previous century — such as in Louis XVI style — Empire style borrowed from the great civilizations of antiquity, from Egypt to Greece and Rome, to connect this nascent empire to the power of the past.
Napoléon I believed the production of fine furniture would reflect the stature of the republic, with his official architects Charles Percier and Pierre-François-Léonard Fontaine leading the way with their work on his residences.
Luxurious materials, symmetrical shapes and bold colors characterize antique Empire-style bedroom furniture, armchairs, cabinets and other structures, with frequent motifs including mythological creatures, geometric designs, acanthus leaves, eagles, bees (the imperial emblem) and swans, a favorite of Empress Joséphine.
Flat surfaces, like marble tabletops, were accented with decadent details, such as the bronze furniture mounts made by sculptor Pierre-Philippe Thomire for the French palaces. Martin-Guillaume Biennais, who worked as the imperial goldsmith, crafted intricate luxury objects that mixed wood, fine metal, mother-of-pearl and ivory. Ormolu — or elaborate bronze gilding — was essential to French design in the 18th and 19th centuries as a cornerstone of the neoclassical and Empire styles.
The style became popular abroad, influencing the American Empire style. Stately pieces carved with sprigs of olives by cabinetmaker Pierre-Antoine Bellange were acquired by American President James Monroe for the White House in 1817.
Find a collection of antique Empire tables, lighting, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Finding the Right Armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.