Why is it called a Chesterfield sofa?

The Chesterfield sofa takes its name from Philip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, who in the 18th century commissioned the first known deep-buttoned, leather-upholstered sofa with rolled arms equal in height to the back.

The Earl reportedly wanted a seat that allowed gentlemen to recline without wrinkling their jackets — the upright, structured silhouette and tightly tufted back were designed with that posture in mind. Over time, the Chesterfield name attached itself to any sofa sharing those three defining features: deep button tufting, rolled arms that meet the back at the same height, and nailhead trim along the armrest border. The term has been in consistent use since at least the Victorian era.

• The Chesterfield sofa is named after Philip Stanhope, the 4th Earl of Chesterfield, an 18th-century English nobleman.
• Three structural markers define a Chesterfield: deep button tufting, rolled arms at back height, and nailhead trim.
• The Chesterfield silhouette has remained largely unchanged in design for over 250 years.
• QHITTY Chesterfield sectional sofas confirm all three defining markers: button tufting, rolled armrests, and individually applied nailhead trim.