French Style Armchairs
French style armchairs bring historic seating into contemporary rooms, offering carved wooden frames and upholstered comfort.
What French Style Armchairs Are
French style armchairs are seating forms drawing on historical design vocabularies like Louis XV, Louis XVI, and Empire styles. When looking for french style armchairs, you encounter pieces originating from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries alongside revival periods.
The inventory on this page largely consists of pairs, spanning walnut, mahogany, and painted wood frames. These chairs appear in various iterations, from open armchairs to enclosed bergere and tub forms.
How They Were Made
Frames are constructed from timbers such as walnut, mahogany, and goncalo alves, alongside painted wood and giltwood surfaces. Carvers shaped these woods into flowing curves and classical motifs.
Seating utilises traditional upholstery methods, incorporating fabric, velvet, and split cane panels. Frames frequently feature carved detailing executed directly into the timber.
Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical UK retail prices for french style armchairs, calculated from the Sellingantiques database of over a million retail prices indexed since 2003. This retail price guide relies exclusively on Sellingantiques data; no external sources or auction records are used, so the figures do not describe the wider market.
Listings span the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, featuring walnut, mahogany, cane, and painted finishes.
What Varies in Quality
Quality rests in the crispness of the wood carving and the balance of the frame proportions. Finer examples display deeply sculpted details rather than shallow moulding.
The choice of primary timber and the execution of the painted or gilt finish distinguish standard production from superior craftsmanship. Original upholstery integration also influences the integrity of the piece.
The French Style Armchairs Glossary
- Bergere
- An enclosed upholstered armchair with solid sides, often featuring cane panels. This form emerged in France during the eighteenth century.
- Fauteuil
- An open-arm armchair with exposed wooden framing and upholstered seat and back. The arms typically feature padded elbow rests.
- Giltwood
- Timber treated with a thin layer of gold leaf applied to the carved surface. This finish was common in formal salon seating.
- Louis XV Style
- A design characterised by asymmetrical curves, cabriole legs, and floral carving. It reflects the rococo taste of the mid eighteenth century.
- Louis XVI Style
- A revival style defined by straight lines, fluted columns, and neoclassical symmetry. These chairs often feature rectangular or oval backs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bergere armchair?
A bergere is an enclosed upholstered armchair featuring solid sides and a padded seat. They frequently incorporate cane work into the wooden frame.
These chairs date across various revival periods and offer a substantial seating presence in a room.
How do I identify Louis XV style?
Louis XV style chairs show prominent curves, cabriole legs, and naturalistic carved ornamentation. The lines avoid straight edges in favour of flowing contours.
This aesthetic draws directly from mid eighteenth century French design principles.
Are these chairs sold in pairs?
The majority of these armchairs appear as matched pairs suitable for placing opposite a fireplace or flanking a sofa. Pairs are standard in salon seating arrangements.
Individual pieces also occur, but matching sets dominate the historical record.
What woods were used for frames?
Framing materials include walnut, mahogany, goncalo alves, and timber finished with paint or gilt. These hardwoods provided the structural strength needed for intricate carving.
Painted and parcel gilt surfaces also appear frequently across the inventory.
How do I care for cane panels?
Cane panels require gentle dusting and occasional light moisture to prevent the natural material from drying out. Avoid placing them near direct heat sources.
Proper humidity levels help maintain the flexibility of split cane over time.