Barrel Back Armchair
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood, Fabric
Antique 19th Century German Armchairs
Vintage 1970s American Lounge Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Antique 19th Century Swedish Gustavian Armchairs
Wood
Antique 1860s English George II Armchairs
Mahogany
Antique 1860s English George II Armchairs
Mahogany
Antique 1860s English George II Armchairs
Mahogany
Antique 1830s French Empire Armchairs
Walnut
Vintage 1920s English George III Club Chairs
Antique 1860s English George II Armchairs
Mahogany
20th Century American Lounge Chairs
Early 20th Century English Armchairs
Vintage 1950s American Armchairs
Vintage 1970s American Armchairs
Metal
Antique 19th Century Swedish Armchairs
Wood
Vintage 1950s Armchairs
Wood, Upholstery
Vintage 1930s French Armchairs
Mahogany, Wood, Mohair
Late 20th Century American Armchairs
Wood, Upholstery
Antique 18th Century and Earlier English Armchairs
Leather, Wood
Vintage 1950s American Armchairs
Mahogany, Upholstery
Vintage 1940s Armchairs
Antique 19th Century French Armchairs
Vintage 1940s American Armchairs
Vintage 1970s American Hollywood Regency Armchairs
Raffia, Resin, Wood, Coconut
20th Century Armchairs
Early 20th Century Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1940s French Armchairs
Lacquer, Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Armchairs
Antique Early 19th Century English Armchairs
American Armchairs
Wood
Vintage 1950s American Armchairs
Wood
20th Century American Armchairs
Wood, Linen
Early 20th Century English Armchairs
Vintage 1930s French Armchairs
Walnut
Vintage 1940s Armchairs
Oak
20th Century American Armchairs
Vintage 1950s American Armchairs
Vintage 1920s Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood, Cane
Early 20th Century Danish Armchairs
Antique 19th Century English Armchairs
Antique Mid-19th Century Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Antique 19th Century French Armchairs
20th Century American Armchairs
20th Century American Armchairs
Vintage 1960s American Armchairs
Wood, Fabric
Early 20th Century French Armchairs
Vintage 1950s Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Antique 19th Century Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Wood, Upholstery
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Neoclassical Armchairs
Upholstery, Wood
Vintage 1940s French Armchairs
Vintage 1940s Mexican Art Deco Armchairs
Linen, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary French Armchairs
Antique 19th Century Syrian Armchairs
Mother-of-Pearl
Antique 19th Century Swedish Armchairs
Paint
Antique Early 19th Century Swedish Armchairs
20th Century American Armchairs
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Barrel Back Armchair For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much is a Barrel Back Armchair?
Finding the Right Armchairs for You
Armchairs have run the gamut from prestige to ease and everything in between, and everyone has an antique or vintage armchair that they love.
Long before industrial mass production democratized seating, armchairs conveyed status and power.
In ancient Egypt, the commoners took stools, while in early Greece, ceremonial chairs of carved marble were designated for nobility. But the high-backed early thrones of yore, elevated and ornate, were merely grandiose iterations of today’s armchairs.
Modern-day armchairs, built with functionality and comfort in mind, are now central to tasks throughout your home. Formal dining armchairs support your guests at a table for a cheery feast, a good drafting chair with a deep seat is parked in front of an easel where you create art and, elsewhere, an ergonomic wonder of sorts positions you at the desk for your 9 to 5.
When placed under just the right lamp where you can lounge comfortably, both elbows resting on the padded supports on each side of you, an upholstered armchair — or a rattan armchair for your light-suffused sunroom — can be the sanctuary where you’ll read for hours.
If you’re in the mood for company, your velvet chesterfield armchair is a place to relax and be part of the conversation that swirls around you. Maybe the dialogue is about the beloved Papa Bear chair, a mid-century modern masterpiece from Danish carpenter and furniture maker Hans Wegner, and the wingback’s strong association with the concept of cozying up by the fireplace, which we can trace back to its origins in 1600s-era England, when the seat’s distinctive arm protrusions protected the sitter from the heat of the period’s large fireplaces.
If the fireside armchair chat involves spirited comparisons, your companions will likely probe the merits of antique and vintage armchairs such as Queen Anne armchairs, Victorian armchairs or even Louis XVI armchairs, as well as the pros and cons of restoration versus conservation.
Everyone seems to have a favorite armchair and most people will be all too willing to talk about their beloved design. Whether that’s the unique Favela chair by Brazilian sibling furniture designers Fernando and Humberto Campana, who repurposed everyday objects to provocative effect; or Marcel Breuer’s futuristic tubular metal Wassily lounge chair; the functionality-first LC series from Charlotte Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret; or the Eames lounge chair of the mid-1950s created by Charles and Ray Eames, there is an iconic armchair for everyone and every purpose. Find yours on 1stDibs right now.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Reupholster a barrel back chair by first removing the old upholstery from the chair. Use the old pieces of material as a guide to help you cut the new upholstery into properly sized pieces. Reupholster the chair by using a furniture stapler to re-secure the new upholstery in the same manner that the old upholstery was attached. Shop a range of vintage and contemporary barrel back chairs on 1stDibs.
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