A great chair is more than just a place to rest your weary bones, it is a focal point in any room and helps set up the overall feeling and tone of that room. Even more, a great chair usually becomes a treasured workhorse and even a loved part of the family. And when it comes to warmth and love and feelings of security and being grounded, nothing does it better than antique furniture.
When choosing antique or vintage chairs there are naturally endless choices for you from armchairs to Windsor chairs, hall chairs to dining or kitchen chairs. But in each case rest assured these items from the past were designed to maximise their use. Kitchen chairs had wide splayed legs to minimise wobbling on the hard uneven floors, armchairs kept away the chill and dining chairs were the very epitome of elegance to impress even our most judgemental friends.
Ever wondered how to begin to date Antique Chairs yourself? Our blog post here will be able to help you.
At LoveAntiques we have one of the best selections of antique and vintage chairs on the internet to suit any of your sitting needs.
Harmony Antiques
Pair Of Antique French Empire Scroll Top Armchairs
£ 695
Harry Raine Antiques
Set of Eight Classic English Oak Windsor Chairs (6 + 2)
£ 875
Hingstons Antiques
Set of 8 Regency Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 1875
Harmony Antiques
Pair Of French Antique Button Back Armchairs
£ 495
Windsor House Antiques
A Good Late 18th Century Pair of Mahogany Hooped Back Single Chairs
£ 1280
A Good Late 18th Century Pair of Mahogany Hooped Back Single Chairs
£ 1280
Windsor House Antiques
artsncraftsfurniture
Morris Chairs by Philip Webb
POA
Windsor House Antiques
Pair of Italian 19th Century Elbow Chairs
£ 2950
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Victorian Walnut and Leather Desk Chair
£ 975
£ 695
Windsor House Antiques
An Attractive Set of 8 (6+2) Chippendale Design Ladder Backed Chairs
£ 1900
An Attractive Set of 8 (6+2) Chippendale Design Ladder Backed Chairs
£ 1900
Windsor House Antiques
Worboys Antiques
Solid Oak Revolving Office Chair
£ 475
Kernow Furniture
2 X Victorian Occasional Chairs
£ 345
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Victorian Mahogany Desk Chair
£ 285
Harmony Antiques
Near Pair Of Antique French Button Back Armchairs
£ 595
Harmony Antiques
19th Century French Napoleon III Tub Chair For Re-upholstery
£ 245
£ 550
Good Extra Large French Armchair with Soft Deep Seat and Back Cushions
£ 550
Victoria Antiques
Kernow Furniture
6 Edwardian Dining Chairs
£ 545
£ 375
Millers Antiques
Comfortable 19th Century Armchair
£ 680
Kernow Furniture
Set of 4 Antique Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 475
The Antique Shop
Antique Oak Monks Bench / Hall Seat / Settle
£ 765
Kernow Furniture
4 Antique Balloon Back Dining Chairs
£ 345
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 8 (6+2) Georgian Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs c.1890
£ 3295
Set of 8 (6+2) Georgian Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs c.1890
£ 3295
Prior & Willis Antiques
Kernow Furniture
Rustic Beech & Rush Ladderback Chair
£ 125
£ 1850
Set of 8 Antique Dining Chairs, English, Oak, Carver, Seat, Edwardian c.1910
£ 1850
London Fine Ltd
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 8 (6+2) Georgian Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 2795
£ 1695
Set of 4 Antique Chippendale Revival Chairs, English, Elbow, Armchair, Victorian
£ 1695
London Fine Ltd
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 6 Queen Anne Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs c.1900
£ 1695
Philip Hunt Antiques
Georgian Revival Deep Buttoned Leather Gainsborough Chair
£ 850
Penderyn Antiques
Pair of Antique 19th Century Oak Farmhouse Chairs
£ 345
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 6 Victorian Elm Kitchen Dining Chairs 19th Century
£ 1495
Sussex Antiques and Interiors
Rare Long Set 10 French Parisian Dining Chairs
£ 1950
Loveday Antiques
Pair of Antique Leather Club Armchairs on Bun Feet
£ 3700
Loveday Antiques
Exhibition Quality Italian 19th Century Carved Walnut Armchair After Andrea Brustolon
£ 12500
Exhibition Quality Italian 19th Century Carved Walnut Armchair After Andrea Brustolon
£ 12500
Loveday Antiques
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 8 (6+2) Georgian Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs c.1910
£ 3295
Set of 8 (6+2) Georgian Revival Mahogany Dining Chairs c.1910
£ 3295
Prior & Willis Antiques
Hastings Antiques Warehouse
19th Century Carved Oak Open Armchair
£ 250
Windsor House Antiques
Mid 19th Century Pair of Well Carved Mahogany Hall Chairs
£ 1600
Loveday Antiques
Fine 19th Century Mahogany Leather Upholstered Wingback Armchair in the George II Manner
£ 8600
Fine 19th Century Mahogany Leather Upholstered Wingback Armchair in the George II Manner
£ 8600
Loveday Antiques
Kernow Furniture
4 Antique Balloon Back Dining Chairs
£ 595
Prior & Willis Antiques
Set of 6 Victorian Thonet Bentwood Beech Kitchen Dining Chairs Early 20th Century
£ 1595
Set of 6 Victorian Thonet Bentwood Beech Kitchen Dining Chairs Early 20th Century
£ 1595
Prior & Willis Antiques
Vintage & Antique Chairs FAQs
How do I identify an antique chair?
Chairs have been around for thousands of years so working out just how old your chair is may take a bit of experience. The best way to start is to look at a chair you already know the age of to look at how it was constructed and how it has aged. Looking at the details helps. Even classic designs such as wingbacks or dining chairs will often contain elements that were fashionable at the time. Ecclesiastical elements were popular during the Gothic Revival period c1850-1880, simple elegant oak during the Arts & Crafts Movement of c1880-1920, minimalist and modern materials such as chrome tubing from the 1920s-today. Original patina (a natural finish which emerges over time) will give you a clue about how old the chair is but just because the chair is dark don’t assume it is old. Chairs were fumed with Ammonia during the 19th Century to artificially darken them and we have used spray stain since the 1920s onwards.
Are Vintage Chairs valuable?
The simple answer is yes and no! While all usable old chairs will have some value, age is rarely a core reason. Condition will naturally play an important part, but rarity and desirability are the most important variables. A very plain chair that was made in large quantities will naturally have less value than one designed by a leading industrial designer or company and limited to only a few examples. Because all chairs basically do the same job, the overall style and look of each vintage chair matters. Chairs say a lot about a room, so people really like examples which are somehow sculptural or stand out visually. When it comes to exact values, then it is best to research other similar examples via the internet to help you understand its financial desirability and then adjust that price depending on the condition. Re-upholstering or re-caning a chair can be quite expensive but also add real value.
Are antique Rocking Chairs valuable?
Love them or hate them, antique rocking chairs can be great fun to own and use. Because they have a very specialist role, most rocking chairs tend to be worth only a few tens of pounds to a few hundred pounds depending on the look. There are some more valuable examples but these are usually by key designers or are historically important. You can usually do a bit of research online to find the value of other similar chairs, but mostly rocking chairs are loved and purchased for practical use and are far less desirable if damaged.
Where can I buy Antique dining chairs from?
Dining chairs are always one of the most sought out chairs but need to be strong enough for daily use. Although the construction is simple, old dining chairs often require quite a lot of TLC to ensure they are in great usable condition. For this reason, when shopping for antique dining chairs online it is always best to purchase them from a reputable antique dealer such as those on LoveAntiques who will usually do that hard work for you. Although auctions may seem like a good way to source cheap chairs, the subsequent restoration costs can make it an expensive decision. Overall large groups of matching chairs are always more desirable than single or odd examples, but today we are happier to mix and match different chairs so buying odd examples can be a great way to save money and create a unique look.