Vintage Velvet Slippers

Antique and vintage slipper chairs are popular fixtures in modern interiors due to their armless, compact designs with high backs and short legs making them perfect for even the tightest of spaces.

Slipper chairs originated in the 18th century. They were used in private dressing rooms and bedrooms for upper-class women to easily slide into their shoes, often assisted by a maid, when corsets and heavy petticoats made dressing a cumbersome task. Since this emergence in the boudoir, slipper chairs have become an essential piece of furniture in modern homes.

In the 1950s, American interior designer Billy Baldwin — whose clients included Jackie Onassis and Bunny Mellon — placed slipper chairs in the living room for the first time. He saw them as the ideal chairs for entertaining. Their low seats and tall, curved backs invite guests to sit; the lack of arms, however, places a limit on comfort.

Slipper chairs can be found in various styles, from the classic mid-centuy modern with unadorned legs to 1930s French Art Deco with a shorter back. Edward Wormley designed some of the most iconic mid-century modern slipper chairs with tapered legs, a round wood base, button tufting and a tall back.

Today, slipper chairs are among the chairs you should know. They can be used to frame a coffee table or contribute to a sense of balance in a space. A slipper chair can fit next to a bookshelf or be tucked into a corner along with a small side table to create a charming reading nook. In entryways, a slipper chair can be used while you put on your shoes. It is also an elegant addition to the bedroom or home office, where its soft shape adds a casual contrast to more rigid furniture.

You can find slipper chairs in materials such as fabric, wood and upholstery on 1stDibs. Browse a wide selection of styles, including mid-century modern, Hollywood Regency and Art Deco.