Deep Buttoned Chair
A deep buttoned chair brings enduring comfort and traditional craftsmanship into a room through deeply recessed upholstery secured with tightly pulled tufts.
Deep Buttoned Chair
A deep buttoned chair relies on distinctive tufting arranged in diamond or square patterns across the backrest, seat or arms to create a padded, textured surface. These seating forms span various historic periods, appearing frequently as nineteenth-century library armchairs, Chesterfield club chairs, and wing chairs.
The selections available here range from compact nursing chairs and swivel desk chairs to large country house armchairs and paired salon seats. Victorian and Edwardian examples sit alongside Regency, William IV, and early twentieth-century designs upholstered in leather, velvet, brocade, or fabric.
Makers and workshops of the past utilised sturdy internal wooden frames of oak, mahogany, or walnut to support substantial padding and heavy hides or textiles. Buyers encounter both compact reading chairs and expansive wing-backed models designed for drawing rooms and studies.
Materials and construction
Makers constructed these seats using robust internal frames of mahogany, oak, walnut, or mixed hardwoods to ensure structural integrity under heavy daily use. Traditional joinery secured the wooden chassis before upholsterers applied webbing and sprung seat bases.
Padding layers incorporated traditional stuffings covered in calico or hessian before the final upholstery layer of leather, velvet, silk, brocade, or rexine was applied. Artisans then created the signature tufting by pulling twine tightly through the padding to form deep recesses, securing each point with fabric-covered or leather buttons and brass tacks where appropriate.
Deep Buttoned Chair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for deep buttoned 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.
Listings feature eighteenth-century revival styles, Victorian models, and early twentieth-century pieces upholstered in leather, velvet, calico, and mahogany.
Judging quality and craftsmanship
The calibre of a deep buttoned chair depends upon the rigidity of its internal frame, the resilience of the sprung base, and the precision of the tufting pattern. Superior pieces maintain tight, evenly spaced diamond folds that retain their geometry without sagging or loosening over time.
Material selection significantly separates examples, with thick, hand-dyed leathers, deep-pile silk brocades, and dense natural stuffings indicating higher original manufacture. Well-executed carving on exposed mahogany, oak, or walnut woodwork further distinguishes finer workshop output from simpler utilitarian seating.
Howard and Sons·Gillows·Holland and Sons·Mellier and Co
The Deep Buttoned Chair Glossary
- Chesterfield
- A heavily upholstered seating form characterised by arms and back of the same height, featuring deep button tufting across the interior. This traditional British style dates back to the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
- Wing Chair
- An armchair featuring protective side panels, or wings, attached to the backrest designed to shield the occupant from drafts. These chairs frequently incorporate deep buttoned leather or fabric upholstery.
- Rexine
- An artificial leather cloth material made from cellulose nitrate applied to a woven fabric backing. It appears on certain twentieth-century club chairs and office seating.
- Brocade
- A rich, heavy shuttle-woven fabric featuring raised decorative patterns, often utilised in Victorian and Edwardian formal upholstery. It provides a textured alternative to plain leather or velvet.
- Hessian
- A coarse woven fabric, typically made from jute fibres, used as a traditional foundation layer beneath upholstery padding. It helps maintain the tension of internal springs and stuffing.
Deep Buttoned Chair: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a deep buttoned chair?
A deep buttoned chair is an upholstered seating piece where twine is pulled through internal padding to create a grid of recessed tufts secured with buttons. This technique provides both structural support and distinctive surface texture.
These chairs range from compact Victorian nursing seats and revolving desk chairs to large leather wing chairs and Chesterfield club armchairs designed for studies and drawing rooms.
How do I care for leather upholstery?
Leather-upholstered seating requires regular dusting with a dry cloth and occasional treatment with appropriate leather conditioners to prevent the hide from drying out. Keeping the leather away from direct heat sources and strong sunlight preserves its natural flexibility and colour.
Over time, natural handling develops a rich patina on vintage and antique hides that enhances the visual character of the piece.
Where were these chairs used historically?
These seating forms occupied libraries, studies, smoking rooms, and formal drawing rooms in country houses and town residences throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Large wing chairs and library armchairs provided comfort near firesides and reading tables.
Smaller slipper chairs, tub chairs, and swivel desk chairs served specialised domestic and professional tasks in private offices and dressing rooms.
How do I identify a Victorian example?
Victorian examples often feature exposed mahogany, walnut, or oak frames with hand-carved details, serpentine fronts, and robust sprung bases. Upholstery materials from this era commonly include deep-pile velvet, brocade, or dark brown leather.
Construction methods typical of the period involve traditional joinery, hessian webbing, and hand-tied springs beneath the deep buttoned surface.