Armchairs
19th Century European Empire Antique Armchairs
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Empire Antique Armchairs
19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Ormolu
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Beech
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Armchairs
Wood, Leather
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Metal
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Steel
Mid-20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Walnut
Late 20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Wood
1860s French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Birch
1990s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Aluminum, Chrome
19th Century French Rustic Antique Armchairs
Wood
1950s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metal
19th Century European Empire Antique Armchairs
Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
Late 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Giltwood
Mid-19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Wood
Early 1900s French Empire Antique Armchairs
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
1940s Empire Vintage Armchairs
Brass
Early 20th Century French Empire Armchairs
Wrought Iron, Brass
1990s European Empire Armchairs
19th Century French Empire Antique Armchairs
Giltwood, Upholstery
Mid-19th Century French Empire Antique 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.