Swedish Antique Armchairs 1800-1950
New pairs of original Swedish art deco armchairs now in stock! We have been lucky to find some fabulous 1920s and 1930s art deco pieces in great condition.
Why choose antique Swedish Art Deco armchairs
Antique Swedish Art Deco armchairs are sort after and popular for a very good reason. They have a quality of craftsmanship, build and fully sprung seat upholstery that just can’t be matched in a modern armchair with the cost based shortcuts, use of foam and other ‘modern’ materials that come with reproduction pieces – especially those made in China and the far East..
The design of the various style of Swedish antique armchairs created such classic shapes that the Art Deco armchairs in particular have been mercilessly copied or parodied by all kinds of modern and reproduction armchair designs. Strangely their design has not been protected though by copyright law as has recently happened with Eames designed furniture for example.
Rarely do the modern versions of our antiques have the same level of craftsmanship in their build or such good quality materials in their construction which means that the Swedish antique armchairs and Art Deco armchairs in particular last longer, are much more comfortable and are more adaptable (and a better investment) than anything you can buy now new.
Its down to the beautiful craftsmanship with which they were made with the best available materials and upholstery prowess at a time when artisans still had pride in what they made and no short cuts would be considered – truly the golden age of furniture.
The upholstery is paramount
Upholstery in the modern world is a dying art. So many so called upholsterers are just self taught and to really learn the secrets of the Upholstery Trade you need to have served a full apprenticeship with a Master Upholster. Its these tips and techniques that we apply to our antique armchairs to give them the legendary level of comfort that that they have. They generally have fully sprung seats utilising 5″ copper coil springs in a string web supported by webbing and topped with layers of horsehair or natural fibre. If you are lucky they will have sprung backs too which is the ultimate in comfort – Antique Gustavian bergeres are a classic example of this type of upholstery construction.
Our own Master Upholsterer (who served a full apprenticeship with a Victorian Trained Master) will reupholster your chosen armchairs in any fabric or leather you like and you can really change the feel of them by updating the upholstery with a modern fabric design. All our antique armchairs generally feature original fully sprung seating for the ultimate in comfort and we can add extra stuffing for you if you wish.
They are available for sale in the original painted or golden birch veneer wood finishes, but we can also repaint or repolish them to a colour of your choice.
Art Deco Armchairs
Classic designs from 1920-1950 that work in traditional and modern settings and deeply comfortable with beautiful bentwood arms.
Biedermeier Armchairs
The Biedermeier period from 1820-1920 saw the creation of stunning armchairs fully sprung with highly decorative golden birch and birds eye maple veneers from top of the line french polished finishes in classic biedermeier colour tones and shapes
Gustavian Armchairs and Bergeres
Highly decorative and superbly comfortable armchairs from 1800-1950 in painted and natural wood finishes with sprung seats and backs echoing the French Louis XVI styling adapted to the Swedish style.
Rococo Armchairs
These antique and 1900s armchairs tend to be slightly wider in the seat with cabriole legs and a more curvaceous profile in natural wood and painted finishes. The perfect deep seated lounge or reading armchair
What size do you need?
If you want a wide deep sitting chair that you fall back into you will be better off with a Gustavian or Rococo design. They have taller supportive backs and wider padded seats. The Art Deco provide a very strong visual style statement and are a more snug fit – perfect for a night of fireside chatting or in your cinema. Biedermeier armchairs are more formal and have the amazing quilt and flame or birds eye veneers that create such a feast for the eye.
Choosing a fabric
You can completely change the feel of a pair of antique armchairs by your choice of fabric of leather – a modern fabric brings them bang up to date and makes a very different stylistic statement from a more traditional cloth or silk. Leather of course brings a different feel and although its most suitable for our Art Deco pieces, you can create something very special buy doing a Gustavian style chair in a leather finish
Checklist
- Make sure there is no woodworm damage to the frame or previous break to the legs
- Check whether they are sprung and webbed or have foam interiors
- Check whether the armchairs need the stuffing replaced
- Decide on the height of chair back you want for the way you will use the chairs
- Work out how much fabric or leather you will need
Thoughts on Art Deco Armchairs
We often get asked about the durability of of our art deco armchairs as people are now used to furniture falling apart after a few years – this is because of the increasing use of enforced obsolescence in manufacturing where the makers want you to have to re buy their products sooner rather than later as well as the pressure to use the cheapest possible materials. Hence so much furniture is now made in China and the Far East to very low standards (and often then rebadged in Europe).
This is a con – you can have the item made in china, shipped to you and then by making a single addition to it, you can then claim its made in Europe!
Of course our original Swedish Art Deco armchairs were handmade by craftsmen at a time when quality counted and artisans were still proud of the furniture they made. This shows in the overall construction of the antique armchairs, the materials used and the care with which they were constructed. It took time to do and it shows in the final assembly – an example being the fully sprung seats where a large number of 5″ copper coils springs are held in a spiders web of webbing and twine to create the perfect firm domed yet comfortable seat that you associate with art deco armchairs.
We have been very lucky this month and found some really nice pairs of antique Swedish art deco armchairs in great condition. Most of the antique armchairs we find come from private sale where families are selling off from their parents estates so they have been kept for a long time and well loved. This also means that the condition of the frame is usually excellent as they have been well maintained.
It’s easy to forget the importance of the fully sprung seats in terms of comfort. The big 5″ copper coil springs provide a really sturdy seat supporting your weight meshed into a web of twine and covered in hessian.
Don’t forget that by being creative with the choice of fabric you can completely change the feel of the armchairs too so a supra modern fabric makes them feel that way while a traditional fabric is well traditional. They are a great canvas for your creativity.
Antique Swedish Art Deco armchairs are always in fashion and are harder to find now than ever – so get them while you can.