Chesterfield Furniture
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.
Early 20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1930s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1930s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
1970s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
1920s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Mohair
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Upholstery
Late 20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1940s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1920s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
19th Century English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Brass
2010s British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1960s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century European Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
1910s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Brass, Metal
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1960s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1970s American Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Beech, Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Upholstery
2010s American Chesterfield Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
2010s French Chesterfield Furniture
Linen
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Early 2000s American Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1890s English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Upholstery, Wood
1960s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Metal
19th Century English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Upholstery, Mahogany
1980s European Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Lacquer, Wood, Polyester, Foam, Upholstery, Leather
20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Silk
21st Century and Contemporary European Chesterfield Furniture
Velvet, Wood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1950s American Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Brass
1930s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Upholstery
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Velvet
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1960s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1950s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Walnut
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather