Go Tuft Yourself! | Timothy Oulton
GO TUFT YOURSELF!
Timothy Oulton’s Chesterfield Redux
Putting our own modern twist on one of the design world’s most enduring icons, we’re celebrating the Chesterfield sofa’s eternal relevance with our big, bold Chesterfield redux, and inviting the world to “Get Tufted” with us!
WAS IT INVENTED BY AN ENGLISH LORD?
The illustrious heritage of the Chesterfield sofa is mixed in mythology and remains an unsolved mystery with many laying claim to its inception. But the folklore is fun, and in the 1700s, a highly inventive bloke – Lord Stanhope, the Fourth Earl of Chesterfield, is reported to have tackled the bothersome problem of creasing one’s suit when seated, by commissioning a local craftsman to design a comfortable sofa that would keep gentlemen’s garments crease-free. Thus, the Chesterfield was born. Over a century later, Sigmund Freud used his Chesterfield sofa to unlock the minds and dreams of his patients as they lay on it, and later in the 1950s, the Chesterfield became a keeper of state secrets in Winston Churchill’s private office at Whitehall.
But then, the world’s most recognizable sofa got stuck in dusty libraries, boring board rooms, and the staid gentleman’s offices and studies of last century. UNTIL NOW…
TIM’S OBSESSION…
Tim Oulton has always been obsessed with Chesterfields. When he was working in the antiques industry back in the early days, he would buy any Chesterfield sofa put in front of him – even the broken ones, using his knowledge of materials and craftsmanship to restore them to new. Today, this passion continues to burn strong, but Tim wanted to complement the authenticity of materials and craftsmanship with a fresh energy to shake off its old-fashioned persona and get some modern attitude.
GET READY FOR THE REDUX
Reinvented for the 21st century, Timothy Oulton’s modern Chesterfield sofas make a statement in a wide array of unique hand-finishes, from extreme hand-distressed leathers to classic buttery hides, exotic velvets and cool linens. Proportions remain classic but are designed to lend themselves to a more comfortable sit, and there’s even the option of plump feather-filled cushions for a more relaxed feel. Castors are replaced with modern wooden feet, and if the classic roll arm and studding aren’t for you, there are more streamlined models available. The Chesterfield is such an established icon it can be tweaked, twisted, turned on its side…and still retain its kudos in any room. In short, it can get away with pretty much anything.
A CHESTERFIELD FOR EVERYONE
Highlights of the Timothy Oulton Collection include the Westminster Button in Jack’dN Brok’n leather, juxtaposing the classic Chesterfield silhouette with a playful graphic of the Union Jack, and then distressed heavily to evoke an authentically aged appearance. The Westminster Button takes on a completely different look in Faded & Degraded velvet, featuring vintage motifs overlaid with abstract art. Oozing modern glamour, the Serpentine velvet Chesterfield sofa, named after the Serpentine river and featuring a languid curve in its seat, offers refined elegance in sumptuous Revival Velvet, while a more rugged aesthetic is channeled in the Westminster Feather in Vagabond leather, treated by hand over and over again to create a worn, burnished surface, imbued with a storied past.
1,550 STUDS NAILED BY HAND
Every Timothy Oulton Chesterfield sofa is meticulously made by hand, using simple tools and time-honoured techniques. It takes an average of 26 hours and 12 craftsmen to make one 3-seater Westminster Button sofa. 1,550 studs are nailed in one by one, and 135 buttons are hand-tufted, requiring exceptional skill and attention to detail. Built to last, each sofa combines authentic materials, luxurious comfort and beautiful hand-finishing to create a piece that can be handed down through the generations.
TIM OULTON SAYS:
“The Chesterfield really represents the heart and soul of the brand, it’s steeped in heritage, absolutely timeless, but it also has this irreverence about it – it makes you smile. Whether you want it to be a standout piece in a really bold finish, or you want something a bit quieter in a more classic leather, you can put a Chesterfield sofa into any interior and it still works.”
Timothy Oulton’s Chesterfield Collection is available in a wide range of hand-finished leathers, linens and velvets. Discover Chesterfield sofas by Timothy Oulton and visit our in-store gallery