A proud piece of furniture, made by proud craftsmen,
T
he Chesterfield sofa has a long and surprisingly complex history that stretches back over two centuries. It’s now a ubiquitous piece of furniture and no lawyer’s office or upmarket coffee house seems complete without one. Yet that hasn’t always been the case. The Chesterfield sofa was once exclusively the preserve of the wealthy and well to do. It was, and still is, regarded as a status
symbol: a luxurious and classic item, but with an understated elegance that sits perfectly with the British psyche. The classic Chesterfield sofa has been a part of interior design and stately fashion for hundreds of years. But where did it come from and how has it evolved? It is rumoured that the Chesterfield sofa was originally commissioned by Philip Dormer
Stanhope, the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield way back in the late eighteenth century and this is how it is believed to have got its name. Whether that’s an urban myth or fact, is impossible to judge. Many have laid claim to creating the Chesterfield sofa, and the actual facts may well never be discovered, however, the Earl has been portrayed sitting on a Chesterfield.