Armchairs
18th Century and Earlier French Antique Armchairs
Hide, Walnut
1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
1980s Vintage Armchairs
Aluminum
1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
Early 20th Century Danish Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Armchairs
Cane, Wood
1960s American Modern Vintage Armchairs
Alpaca, Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century French Armchairs
1950s Danish Vintage Armchairs
Late 20th Century Unknown Armchairs
Maple
20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Linen, Paint
20th Century French Armchairs
Wood, Silk, Damask
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Early 20th Century French Modern Armchairs
1940s American Vintage Armchairs
Late 19th Century French Baroque Antique Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
2010s Armchairs
Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Armchairs
Velvet
1980s Italian Post-Modern Vintage Armchairs
Glass
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet
1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Upholstery
1890s Belgian Hollywood Regency Antique Armchairs
Steel
2010s American Modern Armchairs
Suede, Faux Leather
1970s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fabric, Faux Leather, Foam
21st Century and Contemporary European Modern Armchairs
Metal, Stainless Steel
2010s European Modern Armchairs
Metal
1990s European Armchairs
Metal
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Velvet
Mid-20th Century Italian Bauhaus Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
1980s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Fabric
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metal
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Brass
1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metal, Brass
1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Cut Steel, Chrome
1970s Italian Industrial Vintage Armchairs
Steel
2010s Armchairs
Fabric, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Fiberglass
Early 2000s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Lucite, Plexiglass
Early 2000s Danish Modern Armchairs
Blown Glass
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum
1930s French Vintage Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
Late 20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather
Antique and Vintage Armchairs for Sale on 1stDibs
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.