Chesterfield Chairs
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.
Late 20th Century American Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Antique Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-19th Century British Antique Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Early 20th Century Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
2010s British Chesterfield Chairs
Brass, Copper, Stainless Steel
21st Century and Contemporary British Chesterfield Chairs
Crocodile
Mid-20th Century British Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
19th Century English Antique Chesterfield Chairs
Upholstery, Mahogany
20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century British Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Chairs
Teak
1950s English Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Late 20th Century Italian Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
1960s Italian Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Fabric, Beech
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Teak
1970s Italian Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Metal, Chrome
1960s Italian Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Chesterfield Chairs
Fabric, Walnut
Early 19th Century Antique Chesterfield Chairs
Upholstery, Walnut
1960s Italian Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Walnut
1980s British Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Mahogany
1980s English Vintage Chesterfield Chairs
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
20th Century British Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Chairs
Leather
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Danish Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century Chesterfield Chairs
Wood
Early 2000s Chesterfield Chairs
Metal
20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Hardwood
20th Century English Chesterfield Chairs
Leather, Oak