What is a chesterfield sofa?
Originating in 18th century England, the chesterfield sofa is an oversized sofa featuring a boxy frame, high rolled arms, and button-tufted upholstery. Traditionally, chesterfield sofas were outfitted in leather, but today it is common to find them decked out in wools, tweeds, mohairs, velvets, and even printed cotton twills. Rumor has it that the Chesterfield sofa was originally commissioned by the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, Lord Phillip Stanhope, who asked a local craftsman to dream up a seating option that wouldn’t wrinkle occupants’ clothes. Today, the chesterfield is beloved for the way it can anchor a room and swing freely between styles. Depending on what fabric it’s suited up in, a chesterfield can feel formal or funky, classic or madcap. Because of the chesterfield’s large size, it’s also common to find scaled-down iterations, including love seat chesterfields and chair chesterfields.
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Lead photo by Werner Straube