Armchairs
1940s American Hollywood Regency Vintage Armchairs
Upholstery
1940s Danish Vintage Armchairs
Mahogany
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Armchairs
1940s American Vintage Armchairs
Wood, Leather
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century European Art Deco Armchairs
Zebra Wood, Alligator
1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Oak, Leather
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Chrome
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Leather, Oak
1930s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1970s Italian Space Age Vintage Armchairs
Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel
Mid-20th Century Art Deco Armchairs
Velvet, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
Oak
1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Beech
1970s Danish Vintage Armchairs
Aluminum
1940s Swedish Art Deco Vintage Armchairs
Velvet, Beech
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Metallic Thread
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Silver
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Foam
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Wrought Iron
1940s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Vintage Armchairs
Steel
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1940s Scandinavian Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Velvet
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Brass
1940s Hollywood Regency Vintage Armchairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s French Vintage Armchairs
Beech, Leather
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Armchairs
Leather, Cherry
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.