Footstools
Late 19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Footstools
Elm
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Oak
1860s Italian Rococo Revival Antique Footstools
Giltwood
19th Century American Antique Footstools
19th Century American Empire Antique Footstools
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Antique Footstools
Bentwood, Beech
Mid-19th Century English Elizabethan Antique Footstools
Oak
1880s Antique Footstools
Bronze
1860s English Early Victorian Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Hardwood
1840s English Early Victorian Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Hardwood
1830s English Regency Antique Footstools
Brass
1880s French Napoleon III Antique Footstools
Walnut
Late 19th Century English Aesthetic Movement Antique Footstools
Pine
19th Century European Neoclassical Antique Footstools
Wood
1830s American American Empire Antique Footstools
Mahogany
Late 19th Century European George II Antique Footstools
Mahogany
1820s English Georgian Antique Footstools
Leather
Mid-19th Century English Antique Footstools
Brass
Early 1800s English Georgian Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Hardwood
Late 19th Century English Arts and Crafts Antique Footstools
Walnut
1810s Antique Footstools
Ebony
Late 19th Century English Queen Anne Antique Footstools
Mahogany
1940s French Art Deco Vintage Footstools
1860s German Victorian Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Regency Revival Antique Footstools
Cane, Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Footstools
Faux Bamboo, Wood, Giltwood
19th Century French Louis XIV Antique Footstools
Hardwood
1940s American Mid-Century Modern Vintage Footstools
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century Chinese Qing Antique Footstools
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Footstools
Fabric, Mahogany
Late 19th Century English Antique Footstools
Leather
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Footstools
Mahogany
1860s British British Colonial Antique Footstools
Mahogany
1830s American Art Deco Antique Footstools
Nickel
19th Century French Louis XVI Antique Footstools
Giltwood
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Footstools
Rosewood
Early 1800s Swedish Gustavian Antique Footstools
Other
19th Century French Louis XV Antique Footstools
Paint
1940s Swedish Vintage Footstools
Cherry
Late 19th Century Swedish Rococo Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Wood
19th Century British Antique Footstools
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Footstools
1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Footstools
Velvet, Walnut
Mid-19th Century European Antique Footstools
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Footstools
19th Century English Queen Anne Antique Footstools
Walnut
1940s French Vintage Footstools
Wood, Leather
19th Century English Antique Footstools
Walnut
19th Century English Antique Footstools
1850s French Napoleon III Antique Footstools
Fabric, Giltwood
19th Century French French Provincial Antique Footstools
Textile, Wood
19th Century Antique Footstools
Oak
1940s Swedish Scandinavian Modern Vintage Footstools
Faux Leather
Late 19th Century European William and Mary Antique Footstools
Leather, Oak
19th Century French Neoclassical Antique Footstools
Textile, Wood
1870s Scottish Victorian Antique Footstools
Walnut
19th Century English William and Mary Antique Footstools
Upholstery, Walnut
1940s Czech Art Deco Vintage Footstools
Fabric, Wood
Antique and Vintage Footstools
Antique and vintage footstools might add a dose of fun to your living room, but they’re also hard workers.
Even as they’ve morphed into objects with plenty of functions over time, the footstool has a royal past. In Ancient Egypt, a footstool was used to climb onto an elevated chair or placed under someone’s feet as he or she was seated in a temple or private residence. Footstools were also in use during the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the ottoman, an upholstered seat or small bench that initially had no back or arms, was the main seating furniture in a home. Ottomans were a way to merge floor seating with cushions and mats.
Poufs, which originated in France, are also thought of as convenient seating furniture as well as occasionally serving as a side table, if needed. (Although, a pouf is typically not as firm as an ottoman.)
Over the years, footstools have taken on varying purposes. They have been used as small portable chairs, for example.
During the 18th century, a footstool might have been long with a low profile, which rendered it perfect for fireside seating. Victorian footstools were small but not unassuming, as furniture makers of the era would upholster the pieces so that they paired with the nearby sofa or wingback chairs. Footstools have even become a storage solution at home, with designers outfitting them with compartments. Today, a footstool might be used to organize quilts and blankets or other textiles, especially if you’re trying to keep things uncluttered in a small apartment.
Footstools are now available in all sorts of provocative colors, upholstery and more. No one is going to put a velvet footstool out on the curb, right? When shopping for your own footstool, try to find one that meets the height of your sofa or other seating (or is a tad lower). It should also be sturdy but not a heavy, clunky piece that’s a chore to move around.
The footstool is both decorative and functional. Not unlike a good throw pillow, interior designers have found numerous uses for this versatile, vibrant furnishing. Find yours in the growing collection of antique and vintage footstools today on 1stDibs.