Armchairs
1870s English Victorian Antique Armchairs
Wool
Early 19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Armchairs
Cherry
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1980s American American Classical Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
1980s French Streamlined Moderne Vintage Armchairs
Synthetic
1980s French Rustic Vintage Armchairs
Wicker
1980s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Iron
1970s New Zealand Vintage Armchairs
Wood
19th Century Antique Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Ormolu
19th Century English Hepplewhite Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Indian Anglo-Indian Antique Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut, Bone, Hardwood
1830s Irish George IV Antique Armchairs
Brass
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Armchairs
Giltwood
19th Century Irish Georgian Antique Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1970s Hungarian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Upholstery, Beech
1990s Finnish Post-Modern Armchairs
Wood, Birch
Mid-19th Century French Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
1840s Antique Armchairs
Wood
1980s Dutch Post-Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
19th Century French Rustic Antique Armchairs
Wood
Early 1800s English Antique Armchairs
Wood
1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Antique Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Metal
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 20th Century German Modern Armchairs
Aluminum, Chrome
1980s Spanish Post-Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Fabric
Late 20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Armchairs
Gold Leaf
1890s English Art Nouveau Antique Armchairs
Wood, Fabric
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Oak
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Armchairs
Giltwood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Giltwood
Late 19th Century English Sheraton Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
1970s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Oak
19th Century French Empire Revival Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Wood
19th Century Italian Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Wood
19th Century French Antique Armchairs
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Armchairs
Walnut
1890s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Antique Armchairs
Pine
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Armchairs
Velvet, Giltwood
19th Century French Antique Armchairs
Silk, Walnut
1970s American Modern Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Armchairs
Fabric
1980s French Post-Modern Vintage Armchairs
Aluminum, Copper
1850s English Victorian Antique Armchairs
Alpaca, Bouclé
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
1880s English Victorian Antique Armchairs
Fabric
1850s English Victorian Antique Armchairs
Fabric, Walnut
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Softwood
1890s English Victorian Antique Armchairs
Chenille
1880s Austrian Late Victorian Antique Armchairs
Pine
1970s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Chrome
1870s English Jacobean Antique Armchairs
Oak
1980s Vintage Armchairs
Wood
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.