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.
1950s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
19th Century English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Early 20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Italian Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
1950s American Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1970s Danish Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Mahogany
Late 20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century Unknown Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Metal, Brass
Mid-20th Century Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary American Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Upholstery
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1920s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
Late 20th Century American Chesterfield Furniture
Faux Leather, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1860s British Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1920s English Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
1920s Danish Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
1890s British Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Early 20th Century British Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1870s British Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1870s British Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Hardwood
1980s British Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1920s Danish Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
1980s Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century English Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
1960s American Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
19th Century English Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Brass
1950s Swedish Vintage Chesterfield Furniture
Leather, Oak
1880s Antique Chesterfield Furniture
Leather
2010s American Chesterfield Furniture
Metal