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.
£ 645
Wick Antiques Ltd
Late Victorian Oversized Armchair in the Chippendale Manner
£ 4,250
£ 1,850
Salisbury Antiques Centre
18th Century Oak Framed Wing Chair c.1760
£ 2,450
Wick Antiques Ltd
Early 20th Century Mahogany ‘Glenister’s Patent’ Reclining Gaming
£ 8,800
Early 20th Century Mahogany ‘Glenister’s Patent’ Reclining Gaming
£ 8,800
Wick Antiques Ltd
£ 22,500
Pair of William IV Adjustable Mahogany Library Armchairs by George Minter
£ 22,500
Wick Antiques Ltd
Witch Antiques
Set of 8 Lancashire Spindleback Chairs
£ 2,150
Wick Antiques Ltd
Set of 16 Victorian Mahogany Dining Chairs in the Chippendale Style
£ 28,500
Set of 16 Victorian Mahogany Dining Chairs in the Chippendale Style
£ 28,500
Wick Antiques Ltd
Church Street Antiques
Set of Four Regency Mahogany Chairs
£ 1,850
Wick Antiques Ltd
Steel & Leather Rocking Chair in the Manner of R.W Winfield
£ 2,400
Church Street Antiques
Napolean III Ebonised Armchair c.1870
£ 2,850
Witch Antiques
Set of Eight Mahogany Chairs
£ 875
Wick Antiques Ltd
George I Walnut Wing Armchair of Generous Proportions
£ 8,800
Georgian Antiques
Exceptional Quality Chinese Chippendale Armchair
£ 950
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Good Pair of Victorian Walnut Chairs
£ 240
Salisbury Antiques Centre
Set of William IV Rosewood Cabriole Leg Dining Chairs
£ 1,350
Beau French Boutique
French Regency Style Cane Chairs Set of 6 Dining Chairs
£ 750
ActFurniture LTD
Antique 19th Century Office Chair / Armchair in Mahogany
£ 195
London City Antiques
Outstanding Quality Large Pair of Antique Victorian Carved Walnut & Leather Armchairs
£ 2,950
Outstanding Quality Large Pair of Antique Victorian Carved Walnut & Leather Armchairs
£ 2,950
London City Antiques
Fernyhough Antiques Ltd
Wonderful Victorian Chair
£ 795
London City Antiques
Set of Six Antique Victorian Quality Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 2,485
London City Antiques
Pair of Victorian Carved Black Lacquered Library Chairs
£ 1,795
Trade Antiques
Gothic Revival Throne Chair Fruitwood c.1860
£ 1,650
£ 250
Antique Pair of 19th Century Inlaid Rosewood Bedroom Chairs / Hall Chairs
£ 250
ActFurniture LTD
London City Antiques
Set of 4 Antique Victorian Quality Walnut Dining Chairs
£ 1,695
London City Antiques
Outstanding Antique Pair of Victorian Carved Walnut Chairs
£ 2,850
London City Antiques
Outstanding Quality French Set of Six Antique Regency Dining Chairs
£ 4,950
Outstanding Quality French Set of Six Antique Regency Dining Chairs
£ 4,950
London City Antiques
London City Antiques
Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Pair of Carved Walnut Chairs
£ 3,150
Outstanding Quality Antique Victorian Pair of Carved Walnut Chairs
£ 3,150
London City Antiques
Marylebone Antiques
Pair of Antique French Walnut Salon Chairs
£ 1,100
Hingstons Antiques
Queen Anne Style Leather Wing Chair c.1920
£ 2,450
Millers Antiques
Large 19th Century Wing Armchair
£ 450
ActFurniture LTD
Antique Edwardian Desk Chair / Office Chair in Oak
£ 225
London City Antiques
Fine Quality Pair of Antique Carved Mahogany Armchairs
£ 1,685
Marlborough Antiques & Interiors
Pair of 20th Century Painted Fauteuil Chairs
£ 1,975
Sturmans Antiques Ltd
Stylish Edwardian Period Upholstered Wing Armchair
£ 1,195
London City Antiques
Fine Quality Set of 10 Antique Carved Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 3,285
Alain Michel Antiques
Armchair in Rosewood Regency Period
€ 750
Walton House Antiques Ltd
Set of 8 Regency Mahogany Dining Chairs
£ 2,350
Newark Antiques and Interiors Ltd
Harlequin Set of 8 + 1 Rustic Kitchen Chairs
£ 1,120
Elmgarden
Pair of Edwardian Circular Armchairs
£ 450
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.