How high should the seat be?

Most sit lower than standard dining chairs. The seat usually rests about fifteen inches off the floor. This low profile brought the sitter closer to their feet.

I want to re-cover an old one I found, but the springs feel lumpy and one side sags down badly when I sit on it. Can the old springs just be tied back into place?

A sagging seat usually means the webbing underneath has failed. The canvas strips dry out and snap over the decades, dropping the springs down. You can't just tie them back if the base has gone. It won't hold the tension. A traditional upholsterer will strip the base back to the wooden frame, secure new webbing, and stitch the springs back in. It takes time but works.

What fabric suits these chairs best?

Velvet and wool are reliable choices that suit Victorian frames. They handle the tension of buttoning without pulling or tearing. Lighter silks or cottons can work for show, but they wear through quickly on the seat edge. Stick to hard-wearing upholstery grades.

The back legs on mine sweep out backwards quite a bit, taking up more room than I expected for such a small piece of furniture. Was there a reason for this angle?

That steep backward rake stops the chair from tipping over. Because the backrest sits quite low, a sitter leaning heavily against it creates a strong pivot point at the back legs. Without that splayed angle, you'd end up on the floor. Makers factored this geometry into the original frame.

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Antique Slipper Chairs

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Sitting low to the ground with short legs and no arms, the antique slipper chair was originally designed for women's bedrooms so they could comfortably put on shoes and stockings while wearing restrictive corsets and voluminous skirts.