SIGMUND FREUD
Maybe the most famous owner of a Chesterfield sofa (or, in fact, several such sofas) was Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. He believed that making sure his patients felt comfortable and not distracted helped them to unburden themselves, and so he ensured that his studies or consulting rooms always had a sofa in. Although the only one that remains today is a divan that he used towards the end of his career, it is the Chesterfield that is the original ‘therapist’s couch’ and that became popular with other therapists inspired by Freud.
An even greater range of colours and patterns is available for people who have opted for a fabric-covered Chesterfield, with almost anything on offer from pink velvet, harking back to the Chesterfield’s of the 70s and 80’s, to tartan wool; perfect for country cottages and reminiscent of those early Victorian sofas at Balmoral.
With so much variety on offer and the ability for a Chesterfield to fit in anywhere and look like a timeless vintage item or a cutting-edge modern design choice, or anything in between, it seems perfectly possible that they’ll still be around, largely unchanged, in another 300 years.
Interestingly, Sigmund Freud’s grandson Lucien, the artist, also found a prominent place for a Chesterfield sofa in his work. Many of the subjects of his painting posed on or in front of a dark chesterfield, which thus forms the backdrop to a number of his paintings.
THE 70S AND 80S
The perfect proportions of the Chesterfield have somehow allowed it to thrive in every decade regardless of changing fashions around it. Of course, nothing survived the 80s entirely unaltered, and it’s true that in this era you were more likely to see a Chesterfield in a vibrant velvet than in the classic brown leather Chesterfield of a Victorian gentleman’s club, but the shape and style was unchanged. These sofas were ubiquitous in homes and bars of the time, and vintage or reproduction examples remain popular now, with the advantage that using velvet and other fabric upholstery gives the option of a far greater range of colours and patterns.
MODERN CHESTERFIELD SOFAS
Today, Chesterfield sofas are popular in all their various guises. Classic, clubby dark leather chesterfields are redolent of cultured gentlemen sipping brandy in dusky rooms, and are perfectly suited to vintage décor or as a counterpoint to a bright, modern home. Equally, crisp black or white leather chesterfields offer a distinctive mix of a classic shape with modern aesthetic that works perfectly in modern spaces.
Of course, you’re not restricted to black, brown or white. Many chesterfields are available covered in brightly dyed leather including pink, purple, red and green. The vibrancy of the colouring combined with a style that’s existed for hundreds of years is a bold design choice that is popular as a centrepiece to a room, or to complement a wider colour scheme.
