Tufted Button Back Armchair
A tufted button back armchair brings deep upholstery and tactile seating to a room, offering both traditional character and substantial comfort.
Tufted Button Back Armchair
When you search for a tufted button back armchair, you encounter seating designed for comfort and presence, spanning library chairs, club chairs, and wing chairs. These pieces originate from periods such as the nineteenth century and the early twentieth century, reflecting Victorian and later aesthetic tastes.
The version you are most likely to meet on this page is the Victorian or nineteenth-century leather or fabric upholstered armchair, often featuring deep buttoning across the back. Forms range from library and desk chairs to larger wing chairs and open armchairs.
Makers and workshops of the period, including notable firms, produced varied interpretations of the buttoned seat, incorporating styles from French Napoleon III to George III revival. The overarching format remains consistent in providing a substantial upholstered seat with distinct button detailing.
Materials and construction
Frames are constructed from sturdy timbers such as mahogany, walnut, oak, and rosewood, providing a rigid structural skeleton for the upholstered components. These woods are often carved or shaped according to the prevailing style of the period.
Upholstery relies on materials like leather, velvet, fabric, and rexine, secured over padding with deep buttoning techniques that create the characteristic quilted surface. Brass detailing and hardware occasionally accent the woodwork and upholstery edges.
Listings feature periods spanning the Regency era through the 1930s, with a strong representation of Victorian pieces.
Assessing quality and finish
The distinction between tiers of these armchairs lies in the execution of the woodwork and the integrity of the upholstery. Superior examples display finely carved frames in walnut or mahogany paired with supple leather or rich velvet.
Attention to detail in the buttoning and the proportions of the frame separates standard production from exceptional workshop output. The harmony between the supportive wooden structure and the deep tufted padding dictates the overall caliber of the piece.
Howard and Sons·Holland and Sons·Hindley and Sons
The Tufted Button Back Armchair Glossary
- Button back
- A method of upholstery where buttons are pulled deep into the padding in a grid pattern to create distinct tufts. This technique secures the internal stuffing while providing a textured surface.
- Wing armchair
- An upholstered seat featuring protective side panels attached to the arms and back to block drafts. These chairs frequently appear in leather or heavy fabric.
- Library armchair
- A sturdy seat designed for reading rooms and studies, typically upholstered in leather or durable fabric for prolonged use. They often feature open wooden arms.
- Spoon back
- A padded chair back shaped subtly like the bowl of a spoon, associated with mid-nineteenth-century seating. This contour fits the curve of the human spine.
- Rexine
- A leathercloth material made from cotton fabric coated with nitrocellulose, used as an alternative upholstery finish on early twentieth-century seating.
Tufted Button Back Armchair: Frequently Asked Questions
What is a tufted button back armchair?
A tufted button back armchair is an upholstered seat characterised by deep buttoning pulled into the padding of the backrest. These chairs appear in various forms, including library chairs, wing chairs, and club chairs.
Originating largely in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, they combine functional seating with decorative upholstery techniques.
How were these armchairs used historically?
Historically, these armchairs served in studies, libraries, and country house drawing rooms as comfortable spots for reading or resting. Their substantial frames and upholstered backs provided warmth and support in large domestic spaces.
Library and desk variants were tailored for prolonged seating during work or study.
How do I care for a leather buttoned armchair?
Leather buttoned armchairs require regular dusting and occasional conditioning to keep the hide supple and prevent the leather from drying out. Care must be taken around the button tufts where dust and debris tend to accumulate over time.
Avoiding direct sunlight helps preserve the colour and integrity of both the leather and the underlying padding.
How can I tell Victorian chairs apart?
Victorian chairs can be distinguished by their timber frames, such as walnut, mahogany, or rosewood, and the specific stylistic revival they follow, ranging from Rococo to aesthetic movement. Examining the turning of the legs and the style of the carving helps identify the period.
Upholstery materials and buttoning density also offer clues to the specific decade of manufacture.