Antique Calico Settee
An antique calico settee brings deep comfort and relaxed character into a room, offering understated seating covered in crisp, plain cotton.
Antique Calico Settee
An antique calico settee sits comfortably within traditional English country house and French chateau interiors, offering deep proportions and inviting upholstery. When searching for an antique calico settee, a buyer encounters large two-seater sofas, chaise longues and Chesterfield forms dating from the nineteenth century through to the nineteen-thirty period.
The pieces on this page span Victorian, Edwardian and Napoleon III styles, with many examples originating from country house settings. Makers such as Jackson and Graham, Hampton and Sons, Howard and Sons, and Morison and Co of Edinburgh represent the finer English and Scottish cabinet-making traditions found here.
Materials and construction
Timber frames provide the sturdy skeletons for these settees, utilising hardwood, mahogany, beech and general timber. Craftsmen shaped these wooden structures to support deep seats and rolled or scrolled arms.
Upholstery layers involve natural materials like calico, hessian and linen stretched over supportive spring or stuffing systems. Brass castors frequently finish the feet on English country house sofas, allowing easy movement across floors.
The listings here feature timber, mahogany, beech and hardwood frames paired with calico, linen and hessian textiles across nineteenth and twentieth-century periods.
Judgements of quality
The distinction between ordinary and exceptional pieces rests upon the integrity of the timber frame and the depth of the seating proportions. Finer examples bear the stamps or labels of renowned workshops, marking superior craftsmanship and established provenance.
The balance of the silhouette and the handling of the scrolled arms or piecrust edges reveal the maker's skill. Pieces retaining their original structural stuffing and robust hardwood framing hold a higher standing among traditional seating.
Jackson and Graham·Hampton and Sons·Howard and Sons·Morison and Co
The Antique Calico Settee Glossary
- Calico
- A plain-woven textile made from unbleached cotton, commonly used as a durable foundation cover or loose slipcover on antique seating.
- Chesterfield sofa
- A traditional lounge seat characterised by deep buttoning, scrolled arms of equal height to the back, and generous proportions.
- Chaise longue
- An elongated upholstered chair designed for reclining, combining elements of a sofa and a single chair.
- Hessian
- A coarse woven fabric, often utilised in traditional upholstery as a strong base layer beneath outer covers.
- Piecrust
- A decorative ruffled or scalloped edge detail found on the upholstery or frame borders of specific period seats.
Antique Calico Settee: Frequently Asked Questions
What is an antique calico settee?
An antique calico settee is a period seating piece upholstered or lined in plain cotton calico, typically featuring deep proportions and traditional country house styling.
These settees date from the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, encompassing Victorian, Edwardian and French designs.
How do I identify a country house sofa?
Country house sofas are recognised by their exceptionally deep seats, generous widths and relaxed, unpretentious upholstery styles designed for comfort.
They frequently appear with turned timber legs, brass castors, and simple calico or linen covers suited to informal drawing rooms.
Where were these settees made?
The pieces originate from English workshops, Scottish cabinet makers in Edinburgh, and French furniture makers from the Napoleon III period.
Prominent firms included Howard and Sons and Hampton and Sons alongside regional makers.
Are these settees comfortable for daily use?
These settees are built with deep seating and traditional sprung or stuffed interiors designed specifically for extended lounging.
Their robust timber frames and supportive upholstery layers ensure they remain practical for everyday living spaces.