Whether you’re an interior tastemaker or an avid collector, antique sofas and settees are valuable assets to invest in. They ooze class: transforming rooms with elegant curves and beautifully crafted feet.
New tastes are emerging, with a resurgence of early and mid-20th-century eschewing Scandi- style simplicity. And let’s not forget floor space. Growingly cramped interiors are more in need of space-saving, multi-seat pieces - antique sofas play a hugely practical role in solving these design problems.
Another lure of collecting or buying antique sofas is the surprisingly low prices you can find them at compared to modern day equivalents. Considering many antique sofas for sale date back as far as the 17th century, the designs are solidly put together and likely to stand the test of time for another 200 years to come.
From Victorian sofas to grand and glorious antique Chesterfields, here are some of the most popular antique sofas for sale on the market today.
Top three antique sofas
1. Victorian sofas
First seen during the Regency period but particularly popular with the Victorians, chaise longues are the epitome of luxury. Even so, these Victorian sofas are currently out of fashion and don’t command lofty prices - usually only going for around £400-£600. A stand-out piece can make as much as £1,200. If you’re interested in Victorian sofas for sale, you’re best keeping an eye out for ottoman or borne designs. These are recognisable as circular, upholstered antique sofas with backrest in the centre and three, four or more seats. The kind of thing you’d see in the foyer of a grand hotel, shrouded in velvet with deep walnut legs. Even small borne antique sofas can fetch £2,000-£3,000 (depending on design).
2. Antique Chesterfields
Arguably the most popular Victorian sofas are Chesterfield antiques. These expertly crafted furniture pieces show off a crucial 19th-century innovation - spring upholstery. It might not be as pretty on the eye, but it brought about a new wave of comfort in antique sofas. Antique Chesterfields for sale will probably cost between £3,000 to £5,000, towards the latter end with original leather upholstery and drop ends. Those with fixed arms will take around a ten per cent drop in value.
3. Antique French sofas
The elegant design of the French ‘canapé’ is one that will always evoke visions of zealously gilded palaces and Louis XVI flamboyance. Even a Louis ‘XV-style’ canapé from 1860 can fetch up to £5,000. These revival pieces are often mistaken for period 18th-century originals, so make sure you can spot the difference. Other sofa makers of this period strongly influenced by the antique French sofas we find today were Thomas Chippendale and Robert Adam. The pair produced gilded antique sofas with unmistakable French Neoclassical-style influences. Look for padded backs and arms as well as seats in modern Aubusson tapestry and you’re looking at antique sofas valuing tens of thousands of pounds. You might even bag a 19th or 20th-century for £1,500 to £2,500.
Where to buy antique sofas
You might be looking for handsome antique leather sofas for sale to decorate an interior project. Perhaps you’re hankering an investment piece in strong Art Deco style. Whatever antique sofas you’re interested in, our centre showcases a range of unique and wonderful antique sofas for sale from expert, reputable dealers. Browse our selection today or pay us a visit to see them in person - a trip to our huge antique centre and cafe is a day out in itself.