A club chair is a low, deep and generously padded armchair, with thick rounded arms and a back of the same height or just above them. Born in the gentlemen’s clubs of the late 19th century, it became an icon in 1920s and 1930s France, where it was traditionally covered in leather, most often basane, a sheepskin leather. Today, it is reupholstered in leather or fabric, and remains one of the most comfortable armchairs ever designed.

On this page, you will find everything to understand and recognise a club chair: its history, its anatomy, what makes a period piece special, and its traditional leather. Ready to work on one? The complete club chair covering tutorial gives you the fabric quantities, the tools and every step in order.

On this page: History · How to recognise it · Club, bergère or cabriolet? · Period club chairs · Leather, basane or fabric? · Reupholstering a club chair · FAQ

---

Where does the Club chair come from?

The club chair takes its name from the private clubs where members spent long hours reading, talking and smoking. They needed an armchair built for comfort above all: deep, enveloping, and solid enough to last for decades.

In France, the fauteuil club became hugely popular between the wars, with its characteristic curved shapes and its leather cover patinated by time. That is why so many club chairs found today in flea markets and family homes date from this period, and why so many of them are waiting for a new life.

Want to follow the story of a club chair through my workshop? Read Making a club chair in the Journal.

---

How to recognise a Club chair ?

• A low, deep seat with a loose cushion, never fixed.
• Thick, rounded arms, generously padded, sometimes curling outward.
• A wide, enveloping back, at the same height as the arms or slightly above.
• Short legs, often barely visible, sometimes on castors.
• A hidden frame: unlike a French period chair, no wood shows once the chair is upholstered.
• A suspended seat on period chairs: the springs move freely, right up to the front edge.
• A leather cover on most period chairs, traditionally basane.

---

Club Chair, Bergère or Cabriolet?

These three armchairs are often confused, but they are built very differently:

• The club chair hides its whole frame under padding and leather or fabric. Everything about it is rounded, low and deep.
• The bergère is a French period armchair with a visible carved wooden frame, enclosed arms and a deep seat, usually with a loose cushion.
• The cabriolet is a lighter French armchair with a visible wooden frame and a back curved inward to follow the body. See I want to do a cabriolet chair.

Not sure what you have? The different types of chairs helps you identify the most common ones, including the bridge chair.

---

What makes a period Club chair so special?

A true period club chair has a suspended seat: the springs are not fixed into a rigid block, they move freely with the person sitting, even along the front edge. This is what gives the club chair its unique comfort, soft and enveloping at the same time.

When restoring it, two approaches are possible:

• Hand-tied springs, joined together by a cane that links them and keeps them moving as one.
• A ready-made spring unit, made to measure by a specialist supplier to fit the chair.

The seat cushion is always loose. On leather club chairs, it is sometimes covered in velvet: a choice made for longevity, as the cushion is the part that wears the most.

A chair for connoisseurs

Period club chairs, especially those in Art Deco style, have a real market of collectors and connoisseurs. A chair restored with respect for its original construction, suspended seat included, keeps all its value. It is worth knowing before you start: on a period piece, the way you restore it matters as much as the result.

Why is a club chair expensive to restore?

The club chair is a big, highly technical piece. Its suspended seat, its generous padded volumes, its many curved panels and, on a traditional chair, its leather cover take time and real expertise at every stage. That is why it is one of the most expensive armchairs to have restored professionally, and one of the most rewarding to learn to do yourself.

---

Leather, Basane or Fabric?

Traditionally, club chairs were covered in leather, and more precisely in basane: a sheepskin leather, supple and fairly thin, which takes on that warm patina so typical of old club chairs. It is the look most people picture when they think of a club chair.

Basane is not worked like fabric: it comes in hides of limited size and every mark stays visible, so it calls for working techniques of its own. You will find them in the club chair covering tutorial.

A club chair in a beautiful wool, velvet or linen is just as elegant, and often more comfortable in everyday life: warmer to the touch, softer, and easier to match to an interior. On a leather club chair, a velvet cushion is also a classic, long-lasting choice. The upholstery fabric guide helps you pick a fabric that will last.

---

Reupholstering a Club Chair

If the springs and padding are in good condition, only the cover needs changing. The complete club chair covering tutorial follows a real Art Deco club chair in my workshop, with everything you need to plan the job: fabric and piping quantities, tools, and the covering sequence, from the seat front to the seat cushion.

The most demanding steps also have their own detailed tutorials:

• How to cover the seat front of a club chair
• How to cover the arms of a club chair
• How to cover the inside back of a club chair
• How to attach the wooden front of an arm

If the seat sags or the padding is worn, the chair needs more than a new cover: the springs and padding come first. See the springs tutorials, the padding and stuffing tutorials, and the complete guide on how to reupholster a chair or an armchair.

---

Club Chair: Frequently Asked Questions

Why is it called a club chair?

Because it was designed for the private gentlemen’s clubs of the late 19th century, where comfort for long hours of reading and conversation came first.

What leather is used on a club chair?

Traditionally, basane: a supple sheepskin leather that ages with a beautiful patina.

How do I know if my club chair is a period piece?

Look for a suspended seat whose springs move freely right to the front edge, a hidden frame, a loose cushion and, often, an old basane cover with a natural patina. Art Deco lines are also a good sign of an interwar chair.

Can I reupholster a leather club chair in fabric?

Yes. Many old leather club chairs are given a new life in fabric. The shape and the padding stay the same: only the covering changes, and the fabric often makes the chair softer and warmer to the touch.

How much fabric do I need, and is it a good first project?

Both answers, with the full list of materials and tools, are in the club chair covering tutorial.

Written by Céline Vanier, upholsterer trained with the Compagnons du Devoir, working in her atelier near Lake Annecy, France, since 2012.

---

Keep Exploring

• How to reupholster a club chair: the complete covering tutorial.
• How to reupholster a chair: the complete guide, stage by stage.
• Covering techniques: seats, backs, arms and corners.
• The power of piping: the detail that defines a club chair’s silhouette.
• Guide 3: Full upholstery projects: all the chairs and projects.

All of these techniques, and many more, are available in full detail inside the Hammer Club. Every tutorial is filmed step by step in my workshop, on real pieces, so you can follow along at your own pace, pause, rewind, and come back whenever you need a refresher.