History of the Chesterfield Sofa: A Quick Rundown

You may be a fairly recent chesterfield sofa convert. Or you could, like many, be a long-time lover of this distinctive style of furniture.

And if you’ve ever wondered where the word ‘Chesterfield’ came from, wonder no more!

Of course, there’s a place called Chesterfield, and no doubt a football team. But how did the name derive when it comes to this distinctive style of sofa.

Many people believe it’s actually an adopted turn of phrase, with its roots at the turn of the century when Chesterfield started to become the word used to describe a regular sofa in some parts of America, and Canada.

Here in the UK, though, a chesterfield sofa is a couch with arms and back of the same height, and upholstered in buttoned leather.

Some people believe the fourth Earl of Chesterfield – Philip Stanhope (1964-1773) was honoured by the commissioning of a piece of fine furniture – a leather chesterfield, in this case – and this resulted in the naming of this unique type of sofa.

The chesterfield, made by proud craftsmen for proud customers, the chesterfield remains as iconic today as it was hundreds of years ago.