Vintage Buttoned Armchair
A vintage buttoned armchair brings deep-buttoned upholstery and substantial timber frames into a room, offering both formal presence and comfortable seating.
Vintage Buttoned Armchair
When seeking a vintage buttoned armchair, buyers encounter deep-buttoned upholstery across forms such as library chairs, wing armchairs, and Chesterfield club chairs. These seats emerge predominantly from the nineteenth century, the Victorian era, and early decades of the twentieth century.
The selection ranges from mahogany library armchairs and oak rocking chairs to walnut nursing chairs and rosewood library armchairs. English and French workshops produced these pieces, utilising durable hides and plush textiles over robust hardwood frames.
How They Were Made
Craftsmen built structural frames using solid timbers including mahogany, oak, walnut, and rosewood, often incorporating brass castors and turned wooden legs. Joinery methods relied on traditional mortise and tenon construction to sustain daily weight and reclining pressure.
Upholstery required securing leather, velvet, or rexine across deep spring foundations. Deep-buttoning techniques pulled the facing material into the stuffing to create distinct geometric indentations.
Vintage Buttoned Armchair Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage buttoned armchair 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 span the nineteenth century, Victorian era, and early twentieth century, utilising materials such as mahogany, oak, walnut, brass, leather, and velvet.
What Varies in Quality
Distinction lies in the integrity of the timber framing and the depth of the upholstery work. Superior pieces exhibit hand-carved details, finely turned legs, and well-preserved hides that show natural grain without artificial masking.
Maker attribution elevates a chair significantly, particularly when bearing stamps or labels from renowned workshops like Howard and Sons or Gillows. The precision of the buttoning and the harmony of proportion between timber frame and padded arms also distinguish finer examples.
Howard and Sons·Gillows·Mellier and Co
The Vintage Buttoned Armchair Glossary
- Button-back
- An upholstery technique where indentations are created across the padded surface by pulling twine through the stuffing and securing it with buttons. This method keeps internal padding distributed evenly.
- Bergère
- An enclosed upholstered armchair with wooden framing exposed around the sides and back, often featuring cane panelling. Originating in France, these seats gained popularity in English libraries and drawing rooms.
- Chesterfield
- A low-backed form of padded seating featuring arms and back of equal height with deep buttoning. These club-style chairs use durable leather for heavy daily use.
- Library chair
- A substantial armchair designed for reading rooms, typically constructed from mahogany or oak with leather upholstery. They often include padded arms and generous proportions for prolonged sitting.
- Wing armchair
- A high-backed seat featuring protective side panels designed to deflect draughts from firesides. Nineteenth-century versions frequently pair this form with leather upholstery and deep buttoning.
Vintage Buttoned Armchair: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I identify a Victorian buttoned armchair?
Victorian examples rely heavily on solid mahogany, oak, or walnut frames paired with dark leather and deep buttoning. Look for traditional joinery and stylistic cues rooted in nineteenth-century cabinet making.
Heavier proportions and carved wooden details further distinguish these pieces from lighter twentieth-century club chairs and rexine-covered seating.
What is the difference between a club chair and a wing armchair?
Club chairs present a low back with matching arm heights, creating an open profile designed for relaxed lounging. Wing armchairs incorporate high protective side panels flanking the backrest to shield against draughts.
Both forms utilise deep buttoning and leather upholstery across nineteenth and twentieth-century workshops.
Where should I place a library armchair?
Library armchairs suit studies, living rooms, and reading corners where their substantial timber frames and leather upholstery anchor the space. Their generous proportions require adequate floor area to sit comfortably among other furniture.
Pairing them with wooden desks or low side tables complements their nineteenth-century origins.
How do I care for vintage leather upholstery?
Leather upholstery benefits from regular dusting with a soft cloth and occasional treatment with appropriate conditioning creams to prevent drying. Keeping the hide away from direct heat sources preserves its suppleness.
Avoid harsh chemical cleaners that can strip the natural finish from nineteenth and early twentieth-century hides.