Ethan Allen Recliner
Recent Sales
Late 20th Century Armchairs
Leather, Hardwood
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.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, Ethan Allen owns and operates eight different manufacturing facilities where it produces its own furniture. Six of those facilities are located in the United States and one is in Mexico with another one residing in the Honduras. Shop a collection of Ethan Allen furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024Ethan Allen furniture is more than 90 years old. Brothers-in-law Nat Ancell and Ted Baumritter founded the company in Beecher Falls, Vermont, in 1932. Initially, the company manufactured housewares and then branched out into furniture making after buying out a bankrupt furniture maker in 1936. Ancell and Baumritter named their first furniture line, Ethan Allen, after a Revolutionary War leader from Vermont. Shop a range of Ethan Allen furniture on 1stDibs.
- Is Ethan Allen a luxury brand?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 13, 2024Yes, Ethan Allen is a luxury brand. The American furniture maker provides customers with the ability to create custom-designed pieces built to suit their needs and preferences, fitting the definition of luxury. Ethan Allen produces its furniture out of fine materials under strict craftsmanship standards to ensure quality. Shop a collection of Ethan Allen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, Ethan Allen furniture is still made as of December 2021. The company operates manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Mexico and Honduras and has more than 300 retail showrooms. On 1stDibs, you can find a range of Ethan Allen furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 7, 2024Yes, some Ethan Allen furniture is solid wood. The American furniture company uses both solid wood and solid wood veneers to produce its pieces. In recent years, the furniture maker has also begun to use reclaimed solid wood to make some of its occasional tables and casegoods. Find a variety of Ethan Allen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022No, not all Ethan Allen furniture is made in the USA as of January 2022. The furniture company produces pieces at five factories in the U.S., as well as at factories based in Honduras, Mexico and East Asia. Find a collection of Ethan Allen furniture on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022Yes, most Ethan Allen tables are made at least partially out of real wood. Early pieces tend to feature solid wood, but more modern tables may combine wood veneers with engineered wood. Shop a variety of Ethan Allen tables on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2024Yes, Ethan Allen is high-end furniture. The term “high-end” describes furniture that features fine materials and expert craftsmanship. Ethan Allen furniture fits this definition, especially when you consider the brand's vintage pieces, which were hand-built out of carefully selected American hardwoods. On 1stDibs, find a range of Ethan Allen furniture.
- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 15, 2024Yes, Ethan Allen sofas are generally of good quality. The most durable sofas produced by the American furniture maker are typically those that feature solid hardwood frames and eight-way hand-tied spring systems. Most vintage pieces and some contemporary ones include these features. Shop a collection of Ethan Allen furniture on 1stDibs.
Read More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
Fred Rigby’s Modular Seating Can Be Configured in So Many Handy Ways
The plush Cove Slipper 2.5 Seater sofa is just one of many convenient combinations from the London-based maker.
This Chubby-Chic Quilted Stool Stands on Its Own Two Feet
Sam Klemick's cool stool is edgy, cozy and environmentally sustainable all at once.
Riotous Shapes and Colors Have Made Uchronia’s Designs the Toast of Paris
Julien Sebban’s energetic design collective is radically reshaping the look of 21st-century European furniture and interiors.
Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Rock Your Cares Away on This Sunny Hand-Crocheted Swing
The boho-chic Enchanted Forest Swing, handmade by marginalized women from Turkey and Syria, is uplifting in every way.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Eileen Gray’s Famed Cliffside Villa in the South of France Is Returned to Its Modernist Glory
After years of diligent restoration, E-1027, the designer-cum-architect’s marriage of romance and modernism, is finally complete.