Rare Heywood Brothers and Wakefield Victorian Wicker Conversation Gossip Chair
By Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Perhaps the Rarest of all Victorian Wicker pieces, this parlor chair was used for Ladies to gossip while not facing one another or to limit contact between courting couples.
Wicker
Victorian Conversation Seat Gossip Couch 1880 Sofa
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are viewing a Victorian-era conversation seat - also known as a "tête-à-tête" sofa or courting chair, a unique and romantic piece of 19th-century furniture Upholstered in William...
Wood
Victorian Conversation Seat Ebony Gossip Couch 1880
Located in Potters Bar, GB
You are viewing a gorgeous Victorian conversation seat Sometimes also referred to as a "tête-à-tête" sofa Circa 1880 and has a refined ebony finish with gilt accents The seat feature...
Giltwood
Sold
H 43.31 in W 55.12 in D 23.63 in
Original Hand Carved Mahogany Victorian Telephone or Gossip Bench, Bergere
Located in Bishop's Stortford, GB
Original Hand Carved Mahogany Victorian Telephone or Gossip Bench, Bergere Backing and armrest rest. Single Drawer set on carved ornate legs. Cream Paris Boucle upholstered cushion. ...
Bouclé, Mahogany
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.
There are many lessons to be learned from the lofts, apartments and townhouses of architects and decorators in Manhattan and beyond.
Enriching rooms with layers of visual interest is key to the New York– and Toronto-based decorator’s signature style.