Chairs
1880s English Arts and Crafts Antique Chairs
Oak
1830s Austrian Biedermeier Antique Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
19th Century Swiss Mid-Century Modern Antique Chairs
Rope, Oak
1890s English Arts and Crafts Antique Chairs
Oak
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Dutch Antique Chairs
Paint, Wood
1810s English Regency Antique Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Italian Neoclassical Antique Chairs
Cherry
1880s French Victorian Antique Chairs
Crocodile, Oak
1880s French Antique Chairs
Iron
1890s English Gothic Revival Antique Chairs
Oak
19th Century European Other Antique Chairs
Leather, Wood, Walnut
19th Century Ghanaian Tribal Antique Chairs
Brass
Mid-19th Century American Mid-Century Modern Antique Chairs
Wood
1810s German Biedermeier Antique Chairs
Fruitwood
19th Century American Louis XVI Antique Chairs
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1870s French Louis XVI Antique Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century English Arts and Crafts Antique Chairs
Rush, Ash, Beech
Early 19th Century Russian Neoclassical Antique Chairs
Giltwood
Late 19th Century Italian Louis Philippe Antique Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
19th Century French Empire Antique Chairs
Velvet, Walnut
1880s English Victorian Antique Chairs
Oak
19th Century Antique Chairs
Elm
1880s English Aesthetic Movement Antique Chairs
Beech
19th Century British Early Victorian Antique Chairs
Elm
1880s French Napoleon III Antique Chairs
Cane, Beech
1820s English Antique Chairs
Velvet, Wood
19th Century French Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century French Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
Early 1800s Italian Baroque Antique Chairs
Silver Leaf
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Chairs
Velvet, Wood
19th Century English Rustic Antique Chairs
Ash, Sycamore
19th Century English Victorian Antique Chairs
Hardwood, Satinwood, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Chairs
Brass
Late 19th Century American Antique Chairs
Wicker
19th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Chairs
Walnut
1860s English Gothic Revival Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Chairs
Cane, Wood
1880s French Empire Antique Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century Antique Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century British Victorian Antique Chairs
Oak
Mid-19th Century French Antique Chairs
Mohair, Walnut
1880s English Victorian Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Late 19th Century Hungarian Biedermeier Antique Chairs
Other
19th Century Antique Chairs
Yew
Late 19th Century French Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century Louis XV Antique Chairs
Wood
Late 19th Century French Country Antique Chairs
Rush, Beech
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century German Modern Antique Chairs
Beech
Late 19th Century German Mid-Century Modern Antique Chairs
Ash
19th Century Chinoiserie Antique Chairs
Marble
Late 19th Century Hungarian Baroque Antique Chairs
Other
Late 19th Century Hungarian Baroque Antique Chairs
Fabric
19th Century Dutch Other Antique Chairs
Iron
Mid-19th Century American Folk Art Antique Chairs
Wood
19th Century English Victorian Antique Chairs
Ash
Shop Antique and Vintage Chairs on 1stDibs: Lounge Chairs, Dining Chairs and Other Seating for Sale
Chairs are an indispensable component of your home and office. Can you imagine your life without the vintage, new or antique chairs you love?
With the exception of rocking chairs, the majority of the seating in our homes today — Windsor chairs, chaise longues, wingback chairs — originated in either England or France. Art Nouveau chairs, the style of which also originated in those regions, embraced the inherent magnificence of the natural world with decorative flourishes and refined designs that blended both curved and geometric contour lines. While craftsmanship and styles have evolved in the past century, chairs have had a singular significance in our lives, no matter what your favorite chair looks like.
“The chair is the piece of furniture that is closest to human beings,” said Hans Wegner. The revered Danish cabinetmaker and furniture designer was prolific, having designed nearly 500 chairs over the course of his lifetime. His beloved designs include the Wishbone chair, the wingback Papa Bear chair and many more.
Other designers of Scandinavian modernist chairs introduced new dynamics to this staple with sculptural flowing lines, curvaceous shapes and efficient functionality. The Paimio armchair, Swan chair and Panton chair are vintage works of Finnish and Danish seating that left an indelible mark on the history of good furniture design.
“What works good is better than what looks good, because what works good lasts,” said Ray Eames.
Visionary polymaths Ray and Charles Eames experimented with bent plywood and fiberglass with the goal of producing affordable furniture for a mass market. Like other celebrated mid-century modern furniture designers of elegant low-profile furnishings — among them Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Finn Juhl — the Eameses considered ergonomic support, durability and cost, all of which should be top of mind when shopping for the perfect chair. The mid-century years yielded many popular chairs.
The Eameses introduced numerous icons for manufacturer Herman Miller, such as the Eames lounge chair and ottoman, molded plywood dining chairs the DCM and DCW (which can be artfully mismatched around your dining table) and a wealth of other treasured pieces for the home and office.
A good chair anchors us to a place and can become an object of timeless appeal. Take a seat and browse the rich variety of vintage, new and antique chairs on 1stDibs today.
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The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
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Is Lionel Jadot the Willy Wonka of Upcycled Belgian Design?
From his massive collaborative workshop in a former paper factory, the designer concocts funky furniture from disused materials, as well as luxe hotel interiors like the new Mix Brussels.
Learn Why Designer Maarten Baas Set This Charles Rennie Mackintosh Chair on Fire
What happens when you do something to a piece of furniture that you shouldn’t? It becomes an entirely new object.
Kaleidoscopic Upholstery Makes This Edward Wormley Chair a Showstopper
What at first glance seems an unusual choice jibes perfectly with the designer's aesthetic.
Design Icon Ilse Crawford on Her Colorful New Hans Wegner Chairs
If anyone is brave, humble and adept enough to recolor these mid-century masterpieces, it’s Ilse Crawford. Here, she gives us the details on her five earthy paint choices and tells us how she feels about design collaborations.
How to Reupholster a Chair
Want to update an old chair that still has good bones? We spoke to experts to find out how they approach reupholstering antique furniture.
How to Spot Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI Chairs
A field guide for anyone who wants to brush up on their knowledge of French antiques
The Ball Chair, Eero Aarnio’s Space Age Masterpiece, Was Almost Never Made
Now considered emblematic of 1960s mod aesthetics, the Finnish designer's famous creation was far from an overnight success.