Chesterfield Sofas
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.
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Metal, Brass
20th Century Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1890s British Antique Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1870s British Antique Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
2010s American Chesterfield Sofas
Metal
1830s British Antique Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1930s English Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Upholstery
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
Mid-20th Century Chesterfield Sofas
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary British Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-19th Century British Antique Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1920s British Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Wood
1930s British Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Velvet, Hardwood
1960s French Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Wood
1960s Swedish Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1980s American Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
1960s Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
Mid-20th Century British Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
2010s American Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
1930s Italian Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Wood
1970s Danish Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1920s Swedish Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Oak
1940s English Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Upholstery
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1920s English Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Late 20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary British Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1960s British Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century British Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Velvet
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1960s British Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
1950s American Vintage Chesterfield Sofas
Brass
20th Century English Chesterfield Sofas
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Sofas
Leather, Fabric, Wood