$7,500
H 38 in W 48 in D 22 in
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
$4,014
H 25.4 in W 48.43 in D 43.71 in
STUNNiNG ANTIQUE VICTORIAN "TETE A TETE" CONVERSATION SOFA WITH EBONISED FRAME
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale lovely Victorian Aesthetic Movement “Tete a Tete” Conversation couch Please note the delivery fee listed is...
Velvet, Hardwood
Late 19th Century Tete-a-Tete
Located in New York, NY
Late 19th century Tete a Tete with carved wood frame and an upholstered, linen-blend, cushioned seats.
Upholstery, Wood
$5,375
H 25.99 in W 43.51 in D 28.55 in
STUNNING ANTiQUE REGENCY CHESTERFIELD TUFTED "TETE A TETE" CONVERSATION SOFA
By Chesterfield
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this extremely rare original Antique Regency circa 1810-1820 “Tete a Tete” Conversation couch in salmon valo...
Upholstery, Wood
$61,242
H 88.98 in W 70.87 in D 94.89 in
Renaissance Style Oak Tester 4 Poster Bed Armorial Tapestry Bedspread King Size
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
A vintage king size oak tester or four poster bed in the Renaissance style. Hand carved with Adam & Eve carvings in the headboard, figurative sculptures in the bedposts, three carve...
Oak
Exquisite 19th Century French Daybed
Located in Stockbridge, GA
Exquisite 19th century French daybed, Louis XV style. As the stairways of houses and apartments in France are narrow, they build furniture with the option of disassembling if needed...
Fabric, Walnut
$10,625
H 42 in W 102 in D 60 in
Rare Antique Victorian Walnut Tufted Serpentine Parlor Corner Sofa Settee Couch
Located in Dayton, OH
Monumental Victorian corner parlor sofa featuring serpentine walnut frame with S scroll carved and padded arms. Features queen anne legs and tufted upholstery. Circa 1870s 102" W ...
Velvet, Walnut
$7,000
H 28 in W 24 in D 59 in
Antique French Louis XVI Rosewood Tete A Tete Conversation Chair Bench Loveseat
Located in Dayton, OH
An Antique 19th Century French Louis XVI Style Tete A Tete Conversation Chair / Courting Bench. Made from Rosewood with an elaborate "S" form supported by turned and fluted columns ...
Velvet, Rosewood
$23,876
H 61.42 in W 83.47 in D 67.72 in
Floral Swag - A French Classic Louis XV Style Caned Bed by La Maison London
By La Maison London
Located in London, Park Royal
The Floral Swag Bed is a beautifully handcrafted statement piece in the classic French Louis XV Corbeille style. Featuring its signature rounded corners, the bed’s curved headboard a...
Wood
$34,080
H 90.95 in W 179.14 in D 224.41 in
Louis XVI Style Panelling with Fireplace and a Marine Scene, Oil on Canvas
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This paneled room is composed of a stone fireplace, a large glass door with four leaves, a single door (both with their frame) and a large oil on canvas depicting a marine scene sign...
Stone
$6,000Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 35 in W 28 in D 26 in
Victorian Wicker Parlor Set ‘His, Her and Child's’ Chairs, Settee and Rocker
By Heywood-Wakefield Co.
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Part of a Senator's wife's wicker collection, this rare and beautiful complete wicker parlor set is of high quality with wood beads on the legs of the chairs and openwork curlicues c...
Wicker
$108,874
H 95.08 in W 69.89 in D 95.28 in
LARGE & IMPORTANT ANTiQUE CIRCA 1600 CHARLES I DOCUMENTED ENGLISH OAK TESTER BED
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this very rare and highly important, Museum quality, extra large framed, Documented English oak Tester bed c...
Oak
$1,450 / set
H 35.5 in W 56 in D 33.75 in
Set of Antique Victorian Empire Style Mahogany Loveseat & Arm Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Materials: Needs New Upholstery, Carved Wood Style: Victorian Empire Condition: Needs New Upholstery Dimensions: Loveseat: 35.50”H x 56”W x 33.75”D Seat Height 21" Arm Chair: 35.5...
Upholstery, Wood
Antique Wicker Martha Washington Sewing Stand
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Part of a large collection of ornate Victorian wicker that was collected over the years by a Senator's wife. This sewing cabinet was named for George Washington's wife due to its sty...
Wicker
$44,657
H 110.24 in W 701.58 in D 3.94 in
Wood Paneled Room with Trompe L'oeil Library Decoration, Late 20th Century
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
This piece of woodwork was made at the extreme end of the 20th century, around 1985 and comes from a Parisian mansion. It presents a grey paneled decoration enhanced with gold, comp...
Wood
American Victorian Rosewood Striped Settee
By John Henry Belter
Located in Queens, NY
American Victorian rosewood triple filigree and upholstered back settee with stripe upholstery (att: JOHN HENRY BELTER)
Upholstery, Rosewood
Victorian Wicker Sewing Stand
Located in Miami Beach, FL
Part of a large collection of ornate Victorian wicker that was collected over the years by a Senator's wife. Rectangular in shape, this Victorian wicker sewing stand has a dome lid, ...
Wicker
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.