As a native species across most of Europe and the Americas, Oak has long been used for chair making. Before comfy dining chairs became popular in the 18th Century, early oak chairs were either simple pegged stools or heavy and well carved ‘thrones’ for the master of the house to sit in. Over time, these 17th and early 18th Century armchairs have acquired a beautiful warmth of patina that make them almost sculptural in our modern airy homes. Although oak chairs continued in production through the Georgian and Victorian periods, it was during the Arts & Crafts Movement that the timber really earned the recognition it deserved. Here beautiful hand cut chairs were either left in their natural light oak colour or stained to mimic centuries-old oak. For people looking to purchase antique oak then there are naturally a wide variety of designs out there to choose from. When oak chairs were high class objects they have often been richly decorated with carvings or inlays, and when oak was seen as furniture for the lower classes and servants, then it has often left in simple crisp utilitarian form. Kitchen chairs in oak remain popular today as well as Oak dining chairs. Antique Oak Desk chairs often possess a lovely industrial feel. Today while we naturally admire the tones of older early Oak, it is usually perfectly acceptable for later pieces to be stripped or cleaned back to give a lighter and pleasing honey brown tone.
At LoveAntiques we have a large and impressive selection of Antique Oak chairs for sale as well as vintage examples which pay homage to the older styles.
Antique Reception Hall Chair, Scottish, Oak, Side, Occasional Seat, Victorian
£ 795
London Fine Ltd
Vintage Solid Oak Windsor Dining Chairs / Set of Four / Classic English Farmhouse Chairs c.1960
£ 299.99
MebleinUK
Antique Early English Furniture Period Oak 17thc Wainscot Chair. Lancs / Cheshire
£ 1,475
Mark Seabrook Antiques
Pair of Late 19th Century French Renaissance Revival Oak Armchairs circa 1890–1900
£ 1,250
White’s Antiques
Antique Pembrokeshire Spinning Chair, Welsh, Oak, Work Seat, Stool, Victorian
£ 675
London Fine Ltd
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