Chairs
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Fabric, Wood
1940s Italian Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Velvet, Wood
1940s French Vintage Chairs
Walnut
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Velvet, Beech
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Mahogany, Faux Leather
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Brass
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Beech
1940s French Louis XV Vintage Chairs
Velvet, Oak
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Faux Leather, Oak
1940s French French Provincial Vintage Chairs
Straw, Beech
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Mahogany
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Maple
1940s French Bauhaus Vintage Chairs
Metal
1940s Finnish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Birch
1940s French Organic Modern Vintage Chairs
Straw, Rush, Oak
1940s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Rush, Wood
1940s Italian Other Vintage Chairs
Wood
1940s French Brutalist Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Chairs
Beech
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Papercord, Oak, Teak
1940s Danish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Teak
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Wood
1940s American Chinoiserie Vintage Chairs
Textile, Wood
1940s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Moroccan Vintage Chairs
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Argentine Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Leather, Rattan, Wood
1940s French Arts and Crafts Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Goatskin, Leather, Wood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Textile, Walnut
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Czech Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Silk, Oak, Bentwood
1940s French Louis XVI Vintage Chairs
Walnut
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Velvet, Oak
1940s American Vintage Chairs
Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Brass
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Oak, Plywood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Wood
1940s French Rustic Vintage Chairs
Wood
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Fabric, Hardwood
1940s Italian Country Vintage Chairs
Chestnut
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Oak
1940s Italian Vintage Chairs
Naugahyde, Oak
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Brass
1940s French Neoclassical Vintage Chairs
Fabric, Mahogany, Sycamore
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Aluminum
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Brass
1940s French Rustic Vintage Chairs
Cord, Wood
1940s Vintage Chairs
Plywood, Walnut
1940s European Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Birch
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Cane, Oak
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Chairs
Brass
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.
Read More
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.