Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
The expansion of the British Empire brought Chesterfield sofas around the world, such as in Canada, where the word “chesterfield” refers to any type of sofa. Antique Chesterfield-style furniture now includes seating in a range of sizes and aesthetics, from velvet love seats and linen-upholstered club chairs to ottomans accompanying classic leather sofas.
Popular lore dates the Chesterfield sofa to Philip Dormer Stanhope, fourth earl of Chesterfield. The arbiter of taste and manners in 18th-century England was best known for publishing guides on how to behave in society to attain success. The story goes that he commissioned a sofa in the mid-1700s designed so he could sit on it while not wrinkling his clothes. He later bequeathed it to his godson, and the seating style spread in popularity, eventually becoming an icon of British interior design.
Although this origin is not recorded, it resonates with the iconic sofa’s urbane sophistication. Traditionally made with tall rolled arms the same height as the back, deep buttoning on dark brown leather upholstery, tacked trim and an imposing yet elegant profile, it evokes English estates and the gentlemen’s clubs of London. It became a staple amid the Victorian era’s embrace of comfort. Tartan versions were in Queen Victoria’s drawing room at Balmoral Castle, giving the space a Scottish flair.
Some Chesterfield sofas are slimmed down in shape, others have taller legs for a lighter appearance. And while leather Chesterfield sofas are a more common variant — and can easily elevate a workspace as luxury office furniture — a velvet Chesterfield sofa possesses a singular chameleonic property, softening and emboldening the spaces it inhabits. Whether it’s the focal point of a living room, hotel lobby or trendy restaurant, the Chesterfield remains a status symbol, channeling the sophisticated tastes of its namesake.
Find a collection of antique Chesterfield seating, including sofas, settees, armchairs and lounge chairs, on 1stDibs.
1840s Italian Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Cane, Wood
19th Century Italian Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Wood
1820s German Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
1860s French Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Rosewood
Mid-19th Century Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut, Burl
19th Century Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
Mid-19th Century European Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Poplar
Early 1900s Italian Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Wood, Walnut
1880s Italian Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Walnut
19th Century Portuguese Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Metal
19th Century Italian Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Mahogany
19th Century French Antique Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Pine
20th Century English Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century American Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century English Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Leather
20th Century Chesterfield Beds and Bed Frames
Metal