Vintage Upholstered Furniture
Vintage upholstered furniture gathers armchairs, sofas, dining chairs and stools spanning the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
Vintage Upholstered Furniture
Vintage upholstered furniture encompasses seating built across several eras, featuring armchairs, sofas, dining chairs, benches, footstools and piano stools. The selection ranges from eighteenth-century English mahogany Gainsborough chairs and Italian ebonised sofas to nineteenth-century Victorian Chesterfield sofas and brass framed seats.
Twentieth-century pieces appear frequently in the listings, including French Bergère sofas, Art Deco armchairs, and Swedish elm klismos dining chairs dated around 1930. Edwardian inlaid mahogany settees and Victorian ships chairs represent the broader variety of seating forms available.
Makers and specific regional designs surface through pieces such as Irish walnut armchairs, Anglo-Indian rosewood stools, and works associated with firms like Maple & Co, Whytock & Reid, Bath Cabinet Makers, and Harry & Lou Epstein.
Materials and construction
Makers constructed frames primarily from timbers such as mahogany, walnut, oak, maple, rosewood, satin Birch and elm, often pairing exposed wood with cane work or needlework seats. Brass inlay, solid brass frames, and ebonised finishes add decorative detail to structural woodwork.
Upholstery incorporates varied textiles, leather, and fabric, applied to forms ranging from simple footstools and gout stools to complex Chesterfield sofas, campaign chairs, and adjustable chairs.
Vintage Upholstered Furniture Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for vintage upholstered furniture 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.
Victorian harpists enjoyed specialised brass framed seats designed specifically for their musical posture.
What varies in quality
Quality separates through the integrity of the timber frame, the precision of carved details like brass inlay or cane work, and the provenance attached to named makers or specific design movements. Exhibition pieces or items from recognised workshops demonstrate superior joinery and material selection compared to standard utilitarian seating.
The refinement of period styling, such as Regency lines, Louis XVI style symmetry, or Swedish Art Deco forms, dictates the standing of individual pieces within the market.
Maple & Co·Whytock & Reid·Bath Cabinet Makers·Harry & Lou Epstein·Wheelers of Arncroach
The Vintage Upholstered Furniture Glossary
- Bergère
- An enclosed upholstered armchair with wooden framing exposed around the sides and back, often incorporating cane work.
- Chesterfield
- A large sofa featuring deep button tufting and rolled arms of equal height to the back, typically upholstered in leather or fabric.
- Klismos
- An ancient Greek chair form revived in neoclassical and Art Deco designs, characterised by curved, flaring legs and a concave backrest.
- Gout stool
- A low footstool featuring an adjustable inclined top designed to support the foot or leg of a person suffering from gout.
- Campaign chair
- A portable, folding or dismantling chair designed for travel and military use during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Vintage Upholstered Furniture: Frequently Asked Questions
What periods do these pieces cover?
The selection spans from the eighteenth century through the nineteenth century, extending into the 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, and 1930s.
Styles range across Georgian, Regency, Victorian, Edwardian, Art Deco, and Louis XVI style.
How do I identify Art Deco seating?
Art Deco pieces from the 1930s often utilise streamlined geometric forms, exotic veneers like satin birch or elm, and materials such as cane work.
Designers like Harry & Lou Epstein and makers in Sweden produced distinct chairs and dressing stools during this era.
What is a Bergère chair?
A Bergère is an upholstered armchair featuring an exposed wooden frame and closed sides, sometimes constructed with detailed cane work.
French examples from the 1930s and Carolean style suites demonstrate this form.
Are piano stools adjustable?
Many period piano stools feature revolving mechanisms allowing the seat height to be adjusted for the musician.
Examples include Georgian revolving piano stools and Edwardian Chinoiserie piano stools.
What timbers were used for frames?
Makers utilised a wide range of hardwoods, including mahogany, walnut, oak, satin birch, rosewood, maple, and elm.
Selected pieces also incorporate brass inlay and ebonised wood to enhance the decorative finish.