Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Spanning an era of cultural rebirth in Europe that harkened back to antiquity, the Renaissance was a time of change in design. From the late 1400s to the early 1600s, Rome, Venice and Florence emerged as artistic centers through the expansion of global trade and a humanist belief in the arts being central to society. Antique Renaissance furniture was ornately carved from sturdy woods like walnut, its details standing out against the tapestries and stained glass adorning the walls.
Renaissance chests, which were frequently commissioned for marriages, were often decorated with gilding or painted elements. Those that were known as cassoni were crafted in shapes based on classical sarcophagi. As opposed to the medieval era, when furniture was pared down to the necessities, a wide range of Renaissance chairs, tables and cabinets were created for the home, and the designs regularly referenced ancient Rome.
Large torchères of the Renaissance era that were used as floor lamps were inspired by classical candelabras, while marble surfaces evoked frescoes. The inlaid boxes being imported from the Middle East informed the intarsia technique, which involved varying hues of wood in mosaic-like patterns, such as those by architect Giuliano da Maiano in the Florence Cathedral.
Tapestry-woven cushion covers accented the variety of Renaissance seating — from conversation to study chairs — while bookcases for secular use reflected the migration of culture and knowledge from the church into the home. The aesthetics of the Italian Renaissance later spread to France through the publishing of work by renowned designers, including Hugues Sambin and Jacques Androuet du Cerceau. Centuries later, the 19th-century Renaissance Revival would see a return to this influential style.
Find a collection of antique Renaissance case pieces, decorative objects and other furniture on 1stDibs.
2010s Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany
2010s Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
Early 20th Century European Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
17th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
17th Century Spanish Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
Early 19th Century English Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany, Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1970s American Vintage Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Beech
Early 1800s English Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany
19th Century British Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Mahogany
Late 19th Century Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century British Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1960s American Vintage Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Cane, Mahogany
17th Century French Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut
1980s Vintage Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather
20th Century Italian Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut, Upholstery
Late 18th Century Portuguese Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass
Mid-19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Leather, Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Walnut, Mohair, Upholstery
Mid-18th Century English Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Oak
1890s French Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1890s French Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Upholstery, Oak
Early 20th Century English Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass
19th Century Italian Antique Renaissance Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
Brass, Iron