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Howard & Sons Ltd

British

For more than two centuries, the name Howard & Sons Ltd has been synonymous with elegance and exceptional handcrafted quality. Their Victorian furnishings graced grand old hotels like The Savoy in London, British Royal residences and luxury yachts of the day, including American business tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt’s North Star

Today, stately armchairs, sofas and rich, hand-carved serving tables from Howard & Sons continue to be a gold standard among the most discerning furniture collectors. Queen Elizabeth II is even said to have owned the world's most extensive collection of Howard & Sons chairs.

Howard & Sons Ltd was founded in 1820 on Leman street in London by cabinetmaker and upholsterer John Howard. Although he had three sons — George, Charles and Joseph — it was only George who later joined his father in running the family business. Before their upholstered armchairs and sofas garnered universal acclaim, Howard & Sons was a cabinetry company that collaborated with another well-known cabinetmaker, Gillows of Lancaster and London, on large projects and likely manufactured upholstered furniture for Gillows. 

Howard & Sons Ltd showcased their pieces and won awards at several important exhibitions towards the end of the 19th century. They were given medals at the 1878 Paris Exhibition, the 1894 Antwerp Exhibition and the 1900 Paris Exposition. In 1901, they received their first Royal warrant to supply upholstered furniture to King Edward VII.

Howard & Sons Ltd continued production until 1947. During the 1950s, a London decorating firm called Lenygon & Morant began to trade under the Howard name. The company re-emerged in 1967 as Howard Chairs Ltd. Today, the brand is again known again as Howard & Sons and carries on the tradition of creating bespoke furniture from their London-based workshop.

On 1stDibs, find a range of antique Howard & Sons Ltd seating, case pieces and storage cabinets, tables and other collectibles.

Average Sold Price
$21,508
Styles
Materials
Related Creators
19th century Howard and sons Grafton armchair
By Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in Malton, GB
If you would like this armchair upholstered please click yes in the upholstery drop down menu. This would require 6 metres of material. You can supply your own or please get in touch...
Category

19th Century Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Upholstery

19th century Howard and sons Grafton armchair
19th century Howard and sons Grafton armchair
$12,318
H 35.44 in W 32.68 in D 42.13 in
19th century Howard and sons Ennismore Wingback armchair
By Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in Malton, GB
If you would like this armchair upholstered please click yes in the upholstery drop down menu. This would require 7 metres of material. You can supply your own or please get in touch...
Category

19th Century Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Upholstery

Original Howard and Sons Armchair, England, 19th Century
By Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in Lewes, East Sussex
An original Howard & Sons armchair, England, 19th Century. The chair retaines it’s original upholstery and H & S monogram ticking. Stamped to the back leg. Structurally sound. Re...
Category

Late 19th Century English Late Victorian Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Wood, Feathers

Original Howard and Sons Armchair, England, 19th Century
Original Howard and Sons Armchair, England, 19th Century
$10,913
H 30.52 in W 27.37 in D 39.38 in
Huge Restored Antique Victorian Howard & Son's Brown Leather Chesterfield Sofa
By Howard and Sons, Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard Chairs Ltd.
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this very fine, fully restored Howard & Son’s Berners Street London, large Baring sofa upholstered with vintage brown le...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Leather

Antique Howard & Sons Aesthetic Movement Sofa Claw & Ball Feet Chinoiserie Fabic
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this stunning exceptionally rare and original Howard & Son's circa 1880 two seat sofa with duvet feather padded arms and seat cushions, with Aesthetic movement ebonised frame and Claw & Ball feet in the original Chinese Chinoiserie upholstery. I have a large collection of very fine restored and original unrestored Howard & Son's seating listed under my other items. This is simply put the most comfortable sofa in the world, the arms back and base are all feather and fibre filled, you sink when seated in a similar manner to a very plump feather filled duvet. The upholstery is super rare original Victorian, heavily distressed, its Chinese Chinoiserie and has wonderful colours. The frame is period Victorian, it is the only Aesthetic movement ebonised frame I have seen and one of very few Claw & Ball examples as well. Howard & Sons are simply put are the finest sofa and armchair makers in history, the Queen even had a private collection. This piece is totally original and unrestored, it will only every be original once, as such I have left it as it is for the new owner to decide what to do with it, I can help with full restoration should the new owner wish. To confirm though, as you can see the upholstery is very distressed, the frame is structurally solid and does not require any repairs Dimensions Height:- 74cm Width:- 137cm Depth:- 77cm Seat height:- 44.5cm Please note all measurements are taken at the widest point. A History of Howard and Sons The name of Howard and Sons is probably one of the best known and highly sought-after names in Upholstered furniture. Over the next few paragraphs, I will do my best to give you a brief history of the company. The company was started by John Howard in 1820 trading from 24 Leman St, London as a Cabinet Maker. Over the next 25 years they would make several changes of premises within the Whitechapel area. First to 27 Great Alie St (Now just Alie St) before moving a short distance to 34 Great Alie St. In 1844 the company made its first venture into upholstered furniture by opening a showroom/workshop at 36 Red lion St. This was also to be a big move towards what would be their next and most famous location. In 1848 they moved to a new address much more accustomed with the name; Berners St. London as “Cabinet Maker, Upholsterer and Decorator” under the name John Howard and Sons. The business seemed to boom at this location with workshops opening up at Tottenham St, Charlotte Mews and Fitzroy Sq and an expansion to a second Berners St building in 1853. In 1869 the company consolidated its many workshops into the one building on Cleveland St. By 1872 the company was occupying 25, 26 and 27 Berners St. These adresses would remain unchanged until 1935. During this period they became a limited company in 1899 and won the first of their Royal warrants in 1901. In 1935 the the well-established decorators Lenygon and Morant...
Category

1880s English High Victorian Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

LOVELY HOWARD & SON'S / CHAIRS LTD TWO SEAT SOFA FEATHER FILLED SEAT CUSHIONs
By Howard and Sons, Howard & Sons Ltd, Howard Chairs Ltd.
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super comfortable Howard & Son's / Howard Chairs LTD sofa with the inside back left leg stamped Please...
Category

20th Century English Victorian Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

VINTAGE HOWARD & SON'S LONDON BRIDGEWATER LARGE 5 SEAT CORNER SOFA FLORAL FABRiC
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this rare, highly collectable Howard & Son's / Howard Chairs LTD London, c...
Category

20th Century English Victorian Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Upholstery, Hardwood

IMPORTANT HOWARD & SON'S VICTORIAN GREEN LEATHER IVOR ARMCHAIR CLAW & BALL LEGs
By Howard and Sons, Howard Chairs Ltd., Howard & Sons Ltd
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this once in a lifetime opportunity to own this very rare, Antique Victorian original Howard & Son's Ivor Be...
Category

19th Century English Victorian Antique Howard & Sons Ltd

Materials

Leather, Hardwood

Browse all Furniture from Howard & Sons Ltd
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Howard & Sons Ltd Sale Prices

Sold DateSold PriceCategoryMaterialCreation Year
2025$6,400Sideboards, Console TablesHardwood19th Century
2025$38,606Chairs, ArmchairsLeather1880
2024$9,900Settees, SofasUpholstery1920
2024$14,800Settees, SofasLeather20th Century
2024$10,334ArmchairsUpholstery1900
2024$29,750ArmchairsLeather, Hardwood1880
$21,508
Average sold price of items in the past 12 months
$8,818-$39,416
Sold price range of items in the past 12 months

Creators Similar to Howard & Sons Ltd

Howard & Sons Ltd furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Howard & Sons Ltd furniture are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Howard & Sons Ltd furniture, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider furniture by Howard and Sons, Liberty of London, and Howard Chairs Ltd.. Prices for Howard & Sons Ltd furniture can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $13,859 and can go as high as $13,859, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $13,859.
Questions About Howard & Sons Ltd
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, all Howard and Sons chairs are stamped. However, the type and location of the stamp varies. You may see a name or number on a caster wheel or foot on some pieces. Others display the stamp on a paper label sewn onto the fabric. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of expertly vetted Howard and Sons chairs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    To spot an authentic Howard & Sons chair, first look for a name or number on the inside of the back foot. There may also be a paper label sewn into the hessian or a name stamp on the wheel. On 1stDibs, you can shop a collection of expertly vetted Howard & Sons chairs from some of the world’s top sellers.

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