If one were to create a Mount Rushmore of furniture, they'd be hard-pressed to find an argument against including the Chesterfield sofa. A truly timeless piece of furniture, it has added class and sophistication to rooms across the world since the late 1700s. It's ruggedly handsome yet tastefully refined. There is no official documentation on the origins, but the legend goes that Lord Philip Stanhope, the fourth Earl of Chesterfield, wanted a sofa that wouldn't put creases in his suit when he sat. He took this problem to a local craftsman, and the result was the first iteration of the tufted sofa.

Stanhope's custom couch received such admiration from visitors that they began commissioning their own, and quickly the Chesterfield became a fixture of British high society. Since its not-so-humble beginnings, the stylish sofa has gone on to fill the rooms of diplomats, psychoanalysts, five-star hotel lobbies and the homes of anyone looking to add a shot of masculine style to their spaces. Of course, through the years, iterations and tweaks have been made but the aspects that made the Chesterfield a classic still remain: deep button tufting, soft quality leather (or possibly velvet) and the ambition to dress well without wrinkles. Herewith, some solid options in a range of styles and prices.