Antique chairs can take their place in nearly any room given the wide variety of styles and materials available In a contemporary room for example mission style chairs add the warmth of age while keeping to smooth lines or Asian rosewood chairs can lend richness of design and color Of course they also provide either the central focus or a finishing touch in a room that already uses antique furniture or oldfashioned styles Chairs were a very distinct status symbol during most of European history Chairs with backs were reserved solely for the elite through the late Renaissance as most people sat on stools or benches Because they were such a luxury item makers lavished work on these and so early antique chairs show a good deal of elaborate carving on the backs sides and feet It wasnt until the mid 1600s that chairs with backs were widely available due to the introduction of canework woven cane for both the backs and seats Armchairs made their first appearance during the late 16th century and most of the 17th century they too were reserved only for the highest levels of the aristocracy At the French court for example only princes and the reigning monarchs were allowed to sit in armchairs Most of this furniture has a very heavy substantial feel to it befitting its social status The designs are somewhat boxy and the arms tend to come right out to the end of the seat in contrast to most of todays chairs where it ends an inch or two before
Early carved wooden chairs like these tend to cost in the four and fivefigure range If you like the look but dont have the budget consider Victorianera imitations The carving is rarely as elaborate or masterly but they are a much more affordable usually in the hundreds or low thousands for the very finest examples way to possess this kind of antique chair. Queen Anne style is defined as beginning with her reign in 1702 but lasting past her 1714 death until about the middle of the century These antique chairs are typically slender with graceful curved lines and much less carving Where there is carving it tends to echo classical forms such as scrolls or Greek elements Some but not all had the upholstery built into the chair design rather than relying on cushions Walnut was the most popular wood during this time Wing chairs upholstered chairs designed for relaxation rather than work and with wings designed to protect the sitter from drafts first became popular during this period. Chippendale was perhaps the most famous furniture designer of all time His fusion style combining baroque rococo and Asian elements was an international hit and his design book Gentleman and Cabinet Makers Director is still used in design schools today This style lasted from about 1750 through the 1830s. His designs further simplified chair frames except for openback chairs which featured very elegant and light frameworks such as the famous lyre pattern The legs ended either in basic geometric shapes or in the form of an animals paw Sometimes the carving featured shapes from Chinese design such as pagodas Depending on quality these antique chairs typically begin around $1 500 and up to the high five figures for work by Chippendale his son or his workshops. Victorian antique chairs like the rest of Victorian furniture are typically massive and elaborate and incorporate various fashionable historic or international flavors Upholstery was more common than not usually in the rich reds the Victorians favored but also in needlepoint Gothicstyle chairs brought back carving particularly fruits flowers and mythical beasts while other pieces retained the simpler Queen Anne or Chippendale curving forms Many of these chairs feature rounded seats better to accommodate womens hoops and bustles
Prices range according to materials quality and condition but individual pieces are available for around $150. The Arts and Crafts style reintroduced bare wood and architectural shapes Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the chairs to best suit his houses with their emphasis on simplicity Le Corbusiers art deco designs were another furniture revolution emphasizing chairs that followed the shapes of the human body and using steel chrome and black leather. For early 20th century antique chairs like most vintage furniture the designer is a primary determiner of price as well as condition and quality. Single chairs are by far the most affordable while pairs or dining sets command premium prices because sets where each piece is in good condition are rarer Handmade pieces naturally are also more expensive. The older the antique chair the more signs of wear or patina it should display If the wood looks uniform on the entire piece it is likely a reproduction Ask whether upholstery is the original or a replacement If it is a recent replacement that lowers the value.
Early carved wooden chairs like these tend to cost in the four and fivefigure range If you like the look but dont have the budget consider Victorianera imitations The carving is rarely as elaborate or masterly but they are a much more affordable usually in the hundreds or low thousands for the very finest examples way to possess this kind of antique chair. Queen Anne style is defined as beginning with her reign in 1702 but lasting past her 1714 death until about the middle of the century These antique chairs are typically slender with graceful curved lines and much less carving Where there is carving it tends to echo classical forms such as scrolls or Greek elements Some but not all had the upholstery built into the chair design rather than relying on cushions Walnut was the most popular wood during this time Wing chairs upholstered chairs designed for relaxation rather than work and with wings designed to protect the sitter from drafts first became popular during this period. Chippendale was perhaps the most famous furniture designer of all time His fusion style combining baroque rococo and Asian elements was an international hit and his design book Gentleman and Cabinet Makers Director is still used in design schools today This style lasted from about 1750 through the 1830s. His designs further simplified chair frames except for openback chairs which featured very elegant and light frameworks such as the famous lyre pattern The legs ended either in basic geometric shapes or in the form of an animals paw Sometimes the carving featured shapes from Chinese design such as pagodas Depending on quality these antique chairs typically begin around $1 500 and up to the high five figures for work by Chippendale his son or his workshops. Victorian antique chairs like the rest of Victorian furniture are typically massive and elaborate and incorporate various fashionable historic or international flavors Upholstery was more common than not usually in the rich reds the Victorians favored but also in needlepoint Gothicstyle chairs brought back carving particularly fruits flowers and mythical beasts while other pieces retained the simpler Queen Anne or Chippendale curving forms Many of these chairs feature rounded seats better to accommodate womens hoops and bustles
Prices range according to materials quality and condition but individual pieces are available for around $150. The Arts and Crafts style reintroduced bare wood and architectural shapes Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the chairs to best suit his houses with their emphasis on simplicity Le Corbusiers art deco designs were another furniture revolution emphasizing chairs that followed the shapes of the human body and using steel chrome and black leather. For early 20th century antique chairs like most vintage furniture the designer is a primary determiner of price as well as condition and quality. Single chairs are by far the most affordable while pairs or dining sets command premium prices because sets where each piece is in good condition are rarer Handmade pieces naturally are also more expensive. The older the antique chair the more signs of wear or patina it should display If the wood looks uniform on the entire piece it is likely a reproduction Ask whether upholstery is the original or a replacement If it is a recent replacement that lowers the value.
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