Yellow Faux Leather Armchairs
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Swivel Chairs
Aluminum, Steel, Stainless Steel
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Textile, Faux Leather, Beech
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1930s French Armchairs
Faux Leather, Oak
20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Textile, Faux Leather, Beech
Vintage 1950s Armchairs
Brass
Recent Sales
Vintage 1960s Hungarian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Faux Leather
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Faux Leather, Foam
Late 20th Century American Chairs
Steel, Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Faux Leather
Vintage 1980s Unknown Modern Armchairs
Metal, Steel
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Vintage 1930s American Art Deco Bookends
Chrome
2010s American Modern Stools
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Spanish Minimalist Wall Lights and Sconces
Ceramic
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vases
Murano Glass
2010s Turkish Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
Aluminum
Vintage 1920s English Art Deco Bedroom Sets
Chrome
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Centerpieces
Aluminum, Brass
Mid-20th Century Polish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Velvet, Beech
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
Glass, Fiberglass
21st Century and Contemporary American Beds and Bed Frames
Hardwood
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
Metal
Early 2000s French Industrial Chandeliers and Pendants
Iron
Antique Mid-19th Century French Gothic Architectural Elements
Terracotta
Vintage 1980s French Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Wrought Iron
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
Chrome
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
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.
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