Armchairs
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
18th Century Italian Antique Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Armchairs
Linen, Walnut
1960s Belgian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metal
18th Century Louis XVI Antique Armchairs
Giltwood
20th Century Italian Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
Early 18th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Wood
19th Century French Louis XIII Antique Armchairs
Walnut
19th Century Indonesian Antique Armchairs
Cane, Teak
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Tapestry, Walnut, Upholstery
21st Century and Contemporary Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
18th Century Italian Country Antique Armchairs
Upholstery, Walnut
20th Century French Louis XV Armchairs
Leather, Giltwood, Wood
18th Century French Provincial Antique Armchairs
Cotton, Mahogany
Mid-18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Armchairs
Giltwood
18th Century French Louis XVI Antique Armchairs
Silk
Early 18th Century Italian Baroque Antique Armchairs
1770s English George III Antique Armchairs
Late 18th Century American American Classical Antique Armchairs
Mid-18th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Walnut
Late 18th Century English George III Antique Armchairs
Mahogany
18th Century French Louis XV Antique Armchairs
Walnut
18th Century Dutch Rococo Antique Armchairs
18th Century Italian Antique Armchairs
Mid-18th Century Italian Rococo Antique Armchairs
Walnut
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.