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Finding the Right Sofas for You
Black leather, silk velvet cushions, breathable bouclé fabric — when shopping for antique or vintage sofas, today’s couch connoisseurs have much to choose from in terms of style and shape. But it wasn’t always thus.
The sofa is typically defined as a long upholstered seat that features a back and arms and is intended for two or more people. While the term “couch” comes from the Old French couche, meaning to lie down, and sofa has Eastern origins, both are forms of divan, a Turkish word that means an elongated cushioned seat. Bench-like seating in Ancient Greece, which was padded with soft blankets, was called klinai. No matter how you spell it, sofa just means comfort, at least it does today.
In the early days of sofa design, upholstery consisted of horsehair or dried moss. Sofas that originated in countries such as France during the 17th century were more integral to decor than they were to comfort. Like most Baroque furnishings from the region, they frequently comprised heavy, gilded mahogany frames and were upholstered in floral Beauvais tapestry. Today, options abound when it comes to style and material, with authentic leather offerings and classy steel settees. Plush, velvet chesterfields represent the platonic ideal of coziness.
Vladimir Kagan’s iconic sofa designs, such as the Crescent and the Serpentine — which, like the sectional sofas of the 1960s created by furniture makers such as Harvey Probber, are quite popular among mid-century modern furniture enthusiasts — showcase the spectrum of style available to modern consumers. Those looking to make a statement can turn to Studio 65’s lip-shaped Bocca sofa, which was inspired by the work of Salvador Dalí. Elsewhere, the furniture of the 1970s evokes an era when experimentation ruled, or at least provided a reason to break the rules. Just about every area of society felt a sudden urge to be wayward, to push boundaries — and buttons. Vintage leather sofas of that decade are characterized by a rare blending of the showy and organic.
With so many options, it’s important to explore and find the perfect furniture for your space. Paying attention to the lines of the cushions as well as the flow from the backrest into the arms is crucial to identifying a cohesive new piece for your home or office.
Fortunately, with styles from every era — and even round sofas — there’s a luxurious piece for every space. Deck out your living room with an Art Deco lounge or go retro with a nostalgic '80s design. No matter your sitting vision, the right piece is waiting for you in the expansive collection of unique sofas on 1stDibs.
- What is a Chesterfield sofa?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertFebruary 22, 2021A Chesterfield sofa is a couch with rolled arms that are as tall as the back of the sofa. They always feature deep button tufting everywhere, including the cushion.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022Yes, you can indeed reupholster a Chesterfield sofa. Reupholstering your sofa is a great way to make the piece unique and in line with your personal taste. You can also shop a collection of Chesterfield sofas from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
- 1stDibs ExpertNovember 13, 2024Why it is called a Chesterfield sofa is because of the person who is believed to have first commissioned it. 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. On 1stDibs, shop a selection of Chesterfield sofas.
- 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022A genuine Chesterfield sofa has layers of padding, which is wrapped in horsehair. Also, look for imperfections in the leather. Chesterfields are made with leather, as opposed to synthetic material. Shop a selection of Chesterfield sofas from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.