Chairs
Early 20th Century Swedish Chairs
Paint, Wood
Early 20th Century French Empire Chairs
Bentwood
Early 20th Century Chairs
Paper
Late 19th Century French Napoleon III Antique Chairs
Upholstery, Wood
17th Century Italian Chippendale Antique Chairs
Beech
Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Chairs
Giltwood, Fabric
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chairs
Bamboo
Early 20th Century Spanish Folk Art Chairs
Rush, Paint, Giltwood, Wood
Early 20th Century French Provincial Chairs
Cane, Walnut
Late 19th Century Swedish Biedermeier Antique Chairs
Birch
1930s British Sheraton Vintage Chairs
Fabric, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Antique Chairs
Wood
1880s French Empire Antique Chairs
Mahogany
Early 20th Century Swedish Gustavian Chairs
Oak, Paint
19th Century English Regency Antique Chairs
Other
Early 20th Century Swedish Chairs
Wood, Paint
Early 1900s Austrian Antique Chairs
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Chairs
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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