Metal X Base Armless Chairs
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Chrome, Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Hollywood Regency Dining Room Sets
Metal
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Metal
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Settees
Wool, Teak
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Vintage 1920s Italian Art Deco Bedroom Sets
Mirror, Walnut, Burl
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Benches
Fabric, Velvet, Lacquer, Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Bookcases
Brass
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Night Stands
Brass
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal, Aluminum, Steel
Late 20th Century American Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Metal
Vintage 1960s Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Mid-20th Century American Art Deco Lounge Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Vintage 1980s Japanese Industrial Table Lamps
Bronze, Brass
Antique Early 19th Century English Regency Dining Room Chairs
Upholstery, Wood, Mahogany
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Decorative Bowls
Blown Glass, Murano Glass
Vintage 1950s American Industrial Table Lamps
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian French Provincial Dining Room Tables
Wood
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Desks and Writing Tables
Metal
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Commodes and Chests of Drawers
Plastic
Vintage 1970s German Industrial Table Lamps
Brass, Copper, Bronze
Recent Sales
Vintage 1970s American Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Sectional Sofas
Steel
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
Chrome
Vintage 1950s Mexican Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Sets
Brass
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
Fabric, Bouclé
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.
Read More
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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.