Why are these chairs so low?

They weren't just decorative. Women wore heavy layers of skirts and rigid corsets which made conventional seating uncomfortable. A lower seat allowed the sitter to rest their feet flat on the floor. This helped them maintain the strict posture expected in a formal drawing room setting.

Can you change the fabric?

Yes. Most of these frames have been recovered several times. An upholsterer will strip the old cover back to the wood. They'll then build up the layers again using traditional webbing.

I inherited a set of these from my grandmother but one of the legs is a bit wobbly when you sit on it, can a normal carpenter fix it or do I need someone special?

It's usually better to find a specialist antique restorer for loose frame joints. A modern carpenter might be tempted to use modern wood glues or metal brackets. A restorer will carefully knock the loose joint apart. They clean off the old hide glue before reassembling the frame with traditional hot glue. This traditional approach ensures the repair will last for decades. It prevents damage to the original timber.

The ones I am looking at buying have little wheels on the front legs but nothing on the back ones, is that how they were meant to be made?

That arrangement turns up often. The front legs carry small brass castors while the splayed back legs terminate in a simple square or turned foot. Servants would lift the chair slightly by the back rail to roll it forward. Putting castors only on the front provided mobility while stopping the chair sliding backward when someone sat down.

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Antique Salon Chairs

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Designed for the formal drawing room, the antique salon chair is a lightweight, upholstered seat built to accommodate guests for short visits and conversation.