Armchairs
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
Beech, Plywood
Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Antique Armchairs
Iron
1910s Austrian Jugendstil Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Bamboo
1910s Italian Art Nouveau Vintage Armchairs
Beech, Straw
1990s Dutch Jugendstil Armchairs
Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Armchairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Early 20th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Armchairs
Leather, Oak
1860s Victorian Antique Armchairs
Walnut
1930s Dutch Industrial Vintage Armchairs
Metal, Chrome
1980s French Post-Modern Vintage Armchairs
Aluminum, Copper
2010s Italian Armchairs
Resin, Fiberglass
Mid-20th Century American Chinese Chippendale Armchairs
Wood
2010s Brazilian Armchairs
Upholstery, Cane, Hardwood
Early 1900s British Art Nouveau Antique Armchairs
Mahogany, Satinwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Wood, Ebony
21st Century and Contemporary Austrian Modern Armchairs
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Armchairs
Straw, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Armchairs
Brass
1930s Austrian Art Deco Vintage Armchairs
Beech, Cane
Late 19th Century British Art Nouveau Antique Armchairs
Brass, Steel
2010s Italian Art Nouveau Armchairs
Metal
1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Art Nouveau Armchairs
Aluminum
1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Armchairs
Silk, Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Armchairs
Beech
20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
Early 1900s German Jugendstil Antique Armchairs
Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Armchairs
Beech
Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
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.