Armchairs
Early 20th Century George III Armchairs
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary North American Georgian Armchairs
Leather
19th Century English Georgian Antique Armchairs
Satinwood, Upholstery
1930s Dutch Industrial Vintage Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
Early 20th Century American George III Armchairs
Leather, Mahogany
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Armchairs
Upholstery
20th Century English Armchairs
Walnut
Late 19th Century American Victorian Antique Armchairs
Upholstery, Mahogany, Wood
Mid-20th Century Southeast Asian Chinoiserie Armchairs
Bamboo
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Armchairs
Fabric
1970s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
2010s Turkish Arts and Crafts Armchairs
Cane, Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Armchairs
Hardwood
19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Armchairs
Upholstery
Mid-20th Century Norwegian Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Pine
Early 19th Century British George IV Antique Armchairs
Gesso
1890s American Georgian Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
1920s European Georgian Vintage Armchairs
Wood
1730s English George I Antique Armchairs
Other
Late 19th Century English George I Antique Armchairs
19th Century English George II Antique Armchairs
Wood
1960s Georgian Vintage Armchairs
Early 20th Century English George III Armchairs
1770s English George III Antique Armchairs
Late 19th Century British George III Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
1790s English George III Antique Armchairs
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.