Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.įortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture - since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors - has evolved considerably.Īmong the earliest standard seating furniture were stools.

Captin chair