Antique Upholstery
These antique upholstery pieces span armchairs, sofas, and footstools from the Regency period to Art Deco, offering traditional seating built for comfort.
Antique Upholstery
When searching for antique upholstery, buyers encounter seating and footstools originating primarily from the nineteenth century, the Edwardian era, and the Art Deco period. The most common forms on this page include armchairs, chesterfield sofas, footstools, and chaise longues.
The selection ranges from Victorian button back armchairs and walnut nursing chairs to Regency carver chairs and Edwardian camel back sofas. Pieces often arrive in original fabric, leather, or calico linen, while others require reupholstery projects.
Origins span English country house seating, French Napoleon III tub chairs, and Swedish Empire style armchairs. Makers such as Howard & Sons and Holland & Sons appear alongside workshop styles and unmarked nineteenth century pieces.
Materials and construction
Frames rely on hardwoods such as mahogany, walnut, rosewood, and oak, often carved or painted in white and parcel gilt. Brass details appear on castors and fittings.
Internal support structures utilise traditional hessian webbing and spring systems, padded with stuffing beneath outer coverings of leather, wool tapestry, calico, and linen fabric.
Antique Upholstery Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for upholstery among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
One extraordinary library armchair comes equipped with its own built-in reading stand.
Assessing quality
Quality rests in the integrity of the underlying hardwood frame and the depth of proportion in seating like chesterfield sofas and library chairs. Maker attributions to firms like Charles Hindley & Sons or Harry and Lou Epstein elevate a piece.
The survival of original surface treatments, such as carved rosewood or painted gilt finishes, distinguishes finer examples from utilitarian ones. Fabric condition varies, with some items retaining period tapestry or leather while others await restoration.
Howard & Sons·Charles Hindley & Sons·Holland & Sons·Harry and Lou Epstein
The Antique Upholstery Glossary
- Chesterfield
- A large deep-buttoned sofa with arms and back of the same height. These traditionally feature leather or heavy fabric upholstery.
- Chaise Longue
- An elongated chair for reclining, combining a chair and a footstool into a single upholstered seat.
- Calico
- A plain-woven textile often used as an inner lining or base cover beneath decorative outer upholstery on sofas and chairs.
- Hessian
- A coarse woven fabric utilised as structural webbing and support beneath stuffing in traditional seating.
- Duchess Brisee
- A two-part or three-part chaise longue arrangement consisting of an armchair and an accompanying stool.
Antique Upholstery: Frequently Asked Questions
What defines a Chesterfield sofa?
A Chesterfield is characterised by its distinctive low back and rolled arms that match the height of the back.
Versions on this page appear in leather, calico linen, and aesthetic styles from the nineteenth century.
How do I identify a Howard style armchair?
Howard style chairs typically present deep seats, low scrolled arms, and turned wooden legs fitted with brass castors.
Original examples often bear maker stamps on the castors or frame structures.
What is a nursing chair?
A nursing chair is a low-seated armchair designed in the nineteenth century for comfort during feeding or domestic tasks.
These pieces frequently feature walnut frames and button-backed upholstery.
Can I buy pieces needing reupholstery?
Several listings specifically note that items are offered for reupholstery, allowing buyers to select their own fabrics.
Such pieces retain their original nineteenth century wooden frames and internal webbing.