Distinctive Chesterfields: How to Antique a Chesterfield Sofa – Part 1

Chesterfield sofas are hugely popular, due in part to their traditional and authentic English look. With this in mind, many of our customers opt for an ‘antique’ finish on their sofa or chair, which can be achieved by ensuring their furniture is upholstered in one of the nine shades of leather from our ‘antique’ range. The benefits of opting for this finish are countless, from appearance to price.

The antique range is one of our cheapest leathers, but aside from that, the collection offers a more robust end product which is less prone to minor scuffs and scrapes. Its sealed finish means it’ll also stand up better against minor spills, and due to the dyeing process of this hide, customers can enjoy a more consistent texture and look, something which isn’t always possible with our other leathers.

To help you get a better idea of how we ‘antique’ our sofas in our busy workshop, we’ve filmed the above video. It shows how we go about achieving the timeless look of the antique leather Chesterfield, known as €˜rub off. This particular leather has two layers of dye; the lighter colour underneath is then revealed by our hand treatment process and can be individually tailored to each customer, depending on whether they’d prefer to have more or less of the lighter colour coming through.

In this video, our workshop manager Will Couch shows how we reveal this popular antique finish, which gives the look of an antique sofa but with the benefit of having a brand new sofa €“ free of wear and tear.

Please note: This process is available for antique leathers only.

Keep your eyes peeled for our second and final video which reveals the antiquing process.