Can I change the seat fabric?

You can easily update drop-in seats. The padded frame lifts out of the chair base. Stuff-over seats take more work. An upholsterer will need to strip the old material back to the rails and build the layers up again.

I have noticed that the front legs on some of these old chairs end in brass castors, while others just have plain wooden feet. Was there a specific reason for adding wheels to them?

Brass castors made heavy seating easier to pull away from a table or fireplace. They often appear on substantial reading or library models. Lighter dining variants rarely needed them. They're simple enough to lift and position without dragging the timber across the floorboards.

How do I fix wobbly arms?

A cabinetmaker should address loose arm joints. They'll dismantle the wobbly sections and re-glue the mortises properly.

My dining room has a mixture of different styles of furniture from various periods. Would a pair of Georgian open armchairs look odd if I sit them next to a Victorian pedestal table?

Mixing periods works well when the timber colours relate to each other. A dark mahogany elbow chair sits naturally next to a later mahogany table. Many country houses always mixed generations of furniture. As long as the seat height suits the table top, the combination functions well.

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Antique Elbow Chairs

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An antique elbow chair is an open-sided armchair designed with raised rests to support the sitter's arms. They often sat at the ends of dining tables or stood alone in drawing rooms to provide comfortable seating for the head of a household.