Orthopedic chairs - Chesterfield chair

The Chesterfield chair or sofa is a very traditional British chair design that is now famous throughout the world and renowned for its distinctive appearance, high quality materials, and high standard of workmanship.

Different stories chart the origin of the Chesterfield chair from different places and at different points in time, however it would seem that the original chairs probably started life in Gentlemen’s clubs or even pubs.

These chairs were large highly padded leather chairs with substantial armrests and high backs and they were intended for comfort in luxurious or ostentatious surroundings. When you look at one of these Chesterfield chairs is not difficult to imagine it in a dimly lit room filled with cigar smoke, typical of the Gentlemen’s clubs of yesteryear and, in some cases, of today.

In terms of more popular use in the home, it was probably in the second half of the nineteenth century when the Chesterfield chairs started to make an appearance in the more “well to do” houses. They remained popular for many decades, but have since fallen out of fashion to a degree.

The modern Chesterfield chair

The Chesterfield chair has not changed that much from the original concept. The most popular designs still have large solid frames and are covered with the best leather hides, normally in blacks or dark reddish browns.

One of the many distinctive features of this kind of chair is the button tufting that is prominent on the backrests of these chairs. This is one of the features that will either attract or deter someone from buying one.

A further feature are the thick wooden legs that give the original designs a high and domineering look.

The choice of Chesterfield chair is actually quite extensive.

• There are chairs with wrap around arms, where the arm sections sometimes include the distinctive button tufting.
• There are chairs with legs and chairs without and you can also get a swivel Chesterfield chair.
• There are Captain style chairs with full height legs, semi open backrests and a much more rounded appearance.
• There are even Chesterfield chair that are covered in non leather fabrics.

The Chesterfield chair does not of course have to be a chair for a single individual. You can buy small and large Chesterfield sofas and, despite the original high seating level of the Chesterfield, you can now buy much lower seated versions of these chairs.

Where to get them and cost

You can buy a Chesterfield chair, sofa, or suite at many furniture stores and there are a massive number of them available online. Although consistent in general appearance, there are a number of design variants (as described above) and these chairs are always made to last.

Chesterfield chairs are not cheap. They have large strong wooden frames, heavy padding and extensive areas of leather. You should get a quality product, but quality always comes at a cost.