Curatorial Guidelines

Chairish is a curated shopping experience, meaning that we are selective about what items we accept into our marketplace.

Curation has been integral to our success and is what makes our shopping experience differentiated and meaningful. Buyers consistently report that they prefer shopping on Chairish because we provide a premium inventory offering with a stylistic point of view and quality standards.

Chairish curators have to make tough decisions based on 1) experience knowing what performs best on our platform; 2) observing emerging trends in the market and 3) our own instincts, education and style expertise.

The best way to glean what is performing in our marketplace and what we are looking for is by visiting our Staff Picks, Most Loved and A-List collections and by referring to our Merchandising Wishlist.  

The following guidelines are designed to help you determine which of your items are suitable for sale on Chairish. Items not mentioned on this list are subject to decline based on our curators’ discretion.

VINTAGE, ANTIQUE, AND USED ITEMS

ORIGINAL ART & PRINTS

Chairish accepts a broad assortment of antique, vintage and contemporary artwork in many styles and mediums, but all reflect high quality materials and craftsmanship. The Chairish shopper loves bright, colorful statement pieces including abstracts, landscapes, and Pop Art. Traditional subject matter consistently performs, too, and we also want more examples of portraits, paintings of animals, and large scale or scenic works.

Art and prints may be declined for:

• Newly made replicas of vintage designs
• Reproduction, mass produced or stock artwork
• Color palette, medium or surface quality
• Art, sculpture and figurines depicting:
• Clowns and dolls
• Erotic nudes and sexual subject matter
• Violent subject matter, firearms or weapons

The Chairish Artist Collective features a select group of emerging practicing artists.  The Chairish Print Shop features a small invitation only group of artists selected based on their proven track record of success on Chairish with their original work. To be considered for the Chairish Artist Collective or Print Shop, please contact sales@chairish.com.

DECORATIVE ACCENTS AND ACCESSORIES

Given the vast secondary market for vintage and antique decorative accessories, our curators prioritize accents that are visually interesting, bright and unique. Examples of trending styles include: obelisks, Italian hand-painted ceramics, tulipieres, animalia, and collectible fine tabletop or accents (such as Herend, Fornasetti, Tiffany, etc.)

Decorative Accents & Accessories may be declined for:

• Bikes, Motorcycles, Cars
• We may accept items from these categories if they are purely decorative and not functional as a form of transportation.
• Musical Instruments
• We may decline musical instruments unless they are purely decorative decor items. We may not accept pianos due to size and shipping complications.
• Books - We love vintage and newly made decorative books with beautiful covers, especially when the subject matter is art and design.
• We may decline books based on poor product photography, subject matter, uniqueness, or newly made books.
• Candles
• While we do accept candle holders and candelabras, we will decline mass produced wax votive or taper candles.
• Home Appliances
• Vintage electric appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, radios and fans may be declined unless they are purely decorative
• Mass-produced Collectibles
• Mass-produced figurines, statues and sculpture, such as Lladro, Precious Moments, Hummel, Remington, etc.
• Mannequins and dolls
• Political Memorabilia
• Some advertising memorabilia, such as Coca Cola, pub decor, street signs, etc.
• Mass-produced Tabletop and Housewares, such as Corningware, Pfaltzgraff, Tupperware, etc.
• Mass-produced Religious Imagery and Artifacts
• We may accept some religious items if they are high quality antiques with provenance
• Native American Arts & Crafts
• In accordance with the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990, we can’t accept any art or craft product in a manner that falsely suggests it as a Native American produced product, or the product of a particular Native American Tribe or Native American arts and crafts organization.
• Newly Made Replicas Of Vintage Or Industrial Style Designs
• Subject matter that implies ethnic caricature or cultural insensitivity
• Tribal Artifacts
• Due to the risk of misrepresentation of newly made replicas and travel souvenirs, we only accept high quality items from vetted sellers who specialize in imports, such as African and Asian artifacts
• Architectural Salvage - Architectural salvage that stands alone as a decorative object will be considered, dependant on condition.
• Architectural salvage that involves professional installation or is too utilitarian may be declined.
• Bulk architectural salvage hardware such as doorknobs, drawer pulls, brackets and light bulbs may be declined

FURNITURE

Furniture is one of our best performing categories and we are always trying to grow our assortment. We prioritize high quality and unique pieces from a wide range of eras and styles, including: anything (plaster, tole, or faux bois; important pieces by iconic designers (e.g. Springer, Saarinen, Ligne Roset, B&B Italia, Mario Lopes Torres, Baughman); other vintage or antique items in good condition, ready for use. Game tables, desks, and seating are in high demand.

Furniture may be declined for:

• Vintage and antique children’s high chairs, cribs, and beds
• Other Children’s furniture and decor may be accepted based on style and uniqueness.
• Mattresses & bedding
• We cannot accept used mattresses, sofa bed mattresses, convertible sofas, pet beds or used bedding due to Federal & State regulations.

JEWELRY AND FASHION ACCESSORIES

We may offer this category on a seasonal basis sourced from a handpicked group of dealers. 

LIGHTING

We are primarily focused on unique, colorful vintage and antique lighting in good condition. Lighting in unusual materials----such as tole, plaster, or faux finishes----also does well.

Lighting may be declined for:

• Mass produced fixtures will be declined based on manufacturer and style
• Unbranded and mass produced art nouveau, arts & crafts and Victorian style lamps do not perform well on Chairish, so may be declined due to style
• Lighting fixtures that are in need of repair or have exposed wiring will be declined for safety concerns
• We do not accept lighting with a Blackamoor motif

RUGS

• Bright Moroccan
• Chinese Art Deco
• Dhurries
• Gabbeh
• Geometric Kurdish
• Pictorial Khotans
• Scandinavian
• Single Icon Animalia
• Turkish Oushak (in unique colorways) 

•  Hides - unless a vetted wholesale seller
• Cowhide, Goat, Zebra, Sheepskin
• Overdyed
• Patchwork Pattern/Construction
• Round or Oval Shapes
• Solid Neutral Colorways
• Traditional Styles with Borders and Medallions with Borders
• Transitional Geometric Patterning
• Vintage Reproductions

NEWLY MADE INVENTORY

Chairish offers a limited selection of newly made items sourced from contemporary manufacturers. We may decline newly made items that are not included in our wholesale program. If you are a manufacturer and would like to be considered for inclusion to our wholesale program, please contact sales@chairish.com

OTHER FACTORS THAT MAY INFLUENCE OUR CURATORIAL DECISIONS

MATERIALS

EMBARGOED AND ENDANGERED MATERIALS - US Government Regulations govern the sale of animal and wildlife products. Please refer to the US Fish & Wildlife Bureau Service website for the most up-to-date regulation. Due to the complexity of regulations that may differ state by state, we will now decline items made of the materials below: 

• Tortoise
• Abalone
• Coral
• Ivory
• Giant Clamshell
• Newly made tusk, horn and bone
• Newly made items displaying butterflies or bugs
• Newly made taxidermy or taxidermy made of endangered animals
• Newly made animal hide rugs or upholstery (unless submitted by a vetted seller)
• Newly harvested rosewood

HAZARDOUS MATERIALS - items that contain hazardous, flammable or radioactive materials or represent potential safety concerns will be declined:

• Vessels containing medication or food and drink products
• Items painted with lead paint

OVERSIZED/HEAVY ITEMS - Chairish is unable to manage shipping for items that we determine to be either oversized or extremely heavy. We may also decline certain items based on fragile or heavy material composition that could complicate shipping.

• Our fulfillment team will assess these listings to determine whether we can support shipping.  
• Items may be accepted if the seller is able to offer seller managed shipping and can provide reasonable proof of an accurate shipping cost.  Shipping cost cannot be increased once the item sells, though you are always welcome to reduce the cost of shipping.

CONDITION

We will not accept pieces that are excessively worn or are in need of major repair. An accurate description that describes the condition issues, a realistic condition report and detailed images will help us to determine fit, and increase your odds of a successful sale (with no complaints or returns).

• Items in Poor Condition
• While some patina is desirable, some items will be declined if they are not usable in their current condition
• Dirty or heavily stained textile or upholstered items (such as rugs, fabrics or drapes) should be professionally cleaned before listing on Chairish

BRANDS

We gladly accept most marked designer vintage items, but certain contemporary brands are not suitable for sale on Chairish.

Contemporary retail brands that we DO accept include (but are not limited to) the list found on our Makers Directory page. Examples of those brands include:

• Restoration Hardware
• West Elm
• Design Within Reach
• Ethan Allen
• Pottery Barn

We will decline items from many well known contemporary brands that do not regularly resell at prices that justify shipping costs.  

Please visit our complete list of brands Chairish will or will not accept here: Contemporary Brand List.

Our curators reserve the right to decline any item not expressly mentioned, and for reasons other than those outlined above.  We may decline based on condition, material and brand, even if we would typically accept that style and category of item.

From time-to-time, we may incomplete or decline published items to reflect our updated curatorial guidelines.

If you see what you believe to be comparable pieces for sale on Chairish, it is most likely that those items are older submissions that were accepted some time ago prior to our curatorial guidelines changing.

Please contact production@chairish.com if you would like more information about your product submissions meeting the Chairish curatorial guidelines.