What Is Chesterfield Leather?
Chesterfield Leather is basically a rub off leather creating a two-tone leather finish.
Chesterfield Sofa Fully Restored
Chesterfields and two-tone leathers are coloured with a much lighter colour on the base this can be done either by hand or by machine, once this has been applied an additional layer is applied that’s much darker, this can be sprayed on or swabbed on.
Some colours are classed as two tone and you can hardly see a second colour in them, this darker top colour wares off with general use gaining its patina with age.
Restoring chesterfield leather is very pleasing as the results look fantastic when completed, you don’t have any set pattern to work to as the darker patina coat can be applied as thinly or as thickly as you wish, the darker this top coat is applied the less visible the lighter colour will be underneath.
This chesterfield sofa shows the two-tone effect almost all worn off.
Colour lost and two tone gone on this chesterfield sofa
The preparation stages of a chesterfield sofa are slightly different to a standard pigmented leather. You only have to partially remove the colour as below.
Colour removed on a chesterfield
As long as the colour is removed enough, and the areas are free from dirt and grime this can be re coloured from this stage with great effects as below.
This is a before and after picture showing clearly the before and finished results of a
two-tone chesterfield restoration process.
So where and when was the chesterfield sofa first made, it’s reported that the 4th Earl of Chesterfield (1694-1773) called Lord Philip Stanhope was the first person to commission a chesterfield leather sofa, typically a chesterfield has rolled arms and the arms are normally the same height as the back, they have pleated areas with deep inset buttons.
Sofas had only been around since 1690, before this date all that was available was benches, so considering the chesterfield leather sofas was invented around 1694 it was at the time a revolutionary item.