Buttoned Boudoir Chair
A buttoned boudoir chair offers low-slung, intimate seating designed for the bedroom, combining decorative carved frames with soft upholstery.
Buttoned Boudoir Chair
A buttoned boudoir chair takes the form of a low armchair, slipper chair, or accent chair intended for private dressing rooms and bedrooms. These pieces emerge predominantly from the nineteenth century, with French Napoleon III and Victorian examples appearing alongside Edwardian variations from the early twentieth century.
The layout spans single pieces and matched pairs, often presenting a curvaceous silhouette designed for comfortable lounging. Upholstery frequently requires attention, with items supplied in calico, linen, cotton, or hessian ready for final recovering.
Materials and Construction
Frames rely on sturdy timbers such as beech and other hardwoods, sometimes enhanced with gilt finishes on the legs or exposed woodwork. Brass fittings occasionally appear on castors or structural accents supporting the upholstered body.
The internal buildup utilises traditional support materials like Hessian, cotton, and linen underneath the outer fabric covering. Deep buttoning secures the upholstery in place while creating the characteristic tufted pattern across the backrest.
Buttoned Boudoir Chair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for buttoned boudoir chair 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.
These charming seats ensure that putting on footwear in the morning feels like stepping into a nineteenth-century French salon.
Judging Quality
Quality rests upon the elegance of the wooden framework and the proportion of the curvaceous silhouette. Finer examples display meticulous carving on the beech structure and retain sophisticated proportions suitable for refined interior spaces.
The integrity of the internal stuffing and the condition of the exposed woodwork dictate the overall standard. Pieces with original gilt work or substantial framing stand apart from simpler utilitarian variants.
Howard and Sons
The Buttoned Boudoir Chair Glossary
- Slipper chair
- A low-set upholstered armchair traditionally used in bedrooms for ease of putting on shoes. These seats lack arms and sit close to the floor.
- Napoleon III
- A nineteenth-century French revival style incorporating eclectic influences and ornate decorative elements. This aesthetic heavily informs many continental boudoir seating designs.
- Calico
- A plain-woven cotton fabric commonly used as an inner lining or base upholstery layer before final covering. It provides a sturdy foundation for decorative textiles.
- Hessian
- A coarse woven fabric made from jute fibres, utilised historically for internal webbing and stuffing retention. It offers durable support within traditional upholstery.
Buttoned Boudoir Chair: Frequently Asked Questions
How were these chairs used?
Historically, ladies utilised these low seats in bedrooms for dressing and putting on footwear. Their compact size allowed easy placement near dressing tables.
Today, they serve as accent pieces in living rooms or bedrooms. They add softness and period character to domestic interiors.
How do I identify French styles?
French nineteenth-century and Napoleon III examples exhibit curvaceous woodwork and elaborate frames. Gilt legs and refined proportions frequently distinguish continental pieces from British ones.
French chairs often arrive in raw upholstery or calico, awaiting bespoke fabric selection. Their silhouettes tend towards ornate, flowing lines.
What fabrics cover these chairs?
Original or intermediary coverings often include calico, linen, cotton, and hessian. Many historical pieces require reupholstering in a textile of choice.
Exposed frames display polished beech or gilded wood. Brass components occasionally appear on structural elements or castors.