What is a barrel chair?

Barrel chairs are accent chairs that feature a curved back shaped like half of a barrel. In some cases, the back slopes down at the sides to form arms. Other pieces are armless or have separate rolled arms at the sides. You'll find a variety of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.

What are barrel chairs?

Barrel chairs have high, semicircular backs which form a single piece with the arms.

What era are barrel chairs from?

The earliest barrel chairs are from is the era of the early 19th century. However, Frank Lloyd Wright created one of the most famous barrel chairs in 1937 as a part of his design for Wingspread, a home in Wind Point, Wisconsin. On 1stDibs, find a collection of barrel chairs.

Who invented the barrel chair?

No one knows who invented the barrel chair originally, or even where the chairs appeared first. They became popular during the mid to late 19th century, but it was Frank Lloyd Wright who made them famous when he designed an iconic version for Wingspread, a home he designed in Wind Point, Wisconsin. Wright also used his Taliesin Barrel chair to furnish his own home in Wisconsin. Shop a selection of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.

How do I reupholster a barrel back chair?

Reupholster 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.

Italian Barrel Chair

Carved Buffalo

Frank Lloyd Wright For Cassina

The Wicker Works

Peter Rocchia

Cassina Barrel

Burgundy Mid Century Chair

Frank Lloyd Wright Chair Taliesin

Barrel Dining Set

Italian Barrel Chair For Sale on 1stDibs

With a vast inventory of beautiful furniture at 1stDibs, we’ve got just the Italian barrel chair you’re looking for. An Italian barrel chair — often made from wood, fabric and upholstery — can elevate any home. Find 41 options for an antique or vintage Italian barrel chair now, or shop our selection of 1 modern versions for a more contemporary example of this long-cherished piece. You’ve searched high and low for the perfect Italian barrel chair — we have versions that date back to the 18th Century alongside those produced as recently as the 21st Century are available. When you’re browsing for the right Italian barrel chair, those designed in Mid-Century Modern, Modern and Hollywood Regency styles are of considerable interest. Frank Lloyd Wright, Cassina and Brendan Bass each produced at least one beautiful Italian barrel chair that is worth considering.

How Much is an Italian Barrel Chair?

Prices for an Italian barrel chair can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — at 1stDibs, they begin at $750 and can go as high as $12,500, while the average can fetch as much as $3,950.

Finding the Right Seating for You

With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.

Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.

Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.

The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.

Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.

With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.

Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.

No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.

Questions About Italian Barrel Chair

What is a barrel chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
Barrel chairs are accent chairs that feature a curved back shaped like half of a barrel. In some cases, the back slopes down at the sides to form arms. Other pieces are armless or have separate rolled arms at the sides. You'll find a variety of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
What are barrel chairs?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertAugust 16, 2019
Barrel chairs have high, semicircular backs which form a single piece with the arms.
What era are barrel chairs from?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
The earliest barrel chairs are from is the era of the early 19th century. However, Frank Lloyd Wright created one of the most famous barrel chairs in 1937 as a part of his design for Wingspread, a home in Wind Point, Wisconsin. On 1stDibs, find a collection of barrel chairs.
Who invented the barrel chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
No one knows who invented the barrel chair originally, or even where the chairs appeared first. They became popular during the mid to late 19th century, but it was Frank Lloyd Wright who made them famous when he designed an iconic version for Wingspread, a home he designed in Wind Point, Wisconsin. Wright also used his Taliesin Barrel chair to furnish his own home in Wisconsin. Shop a selection of barrel chairs on 1stDibs.
How do I reupholster a barrel back chair?
1 Answer
1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
Reupholster 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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