All our upholstery is completed using a combination of high-quality industrial machines and hand stitching.
Choosing the right upholstery is about taste style, and durability. Our work with leather – a material which requires the highest levels of upholstery skills – provides us with enhanced skills and sensitivity to materials, which we apply equally to our pieces upholstered in fabric. We are always happy to advise and work with our customers to select the right fabric for their taste, interiors and lifestyle.
Leather is a natural product. It breathes; it is warm and each piece has individual characteristics. Authentic leather tells of its natural origin. This is revealed as differentiation between parts of the animal, growth marks, areas of differing fibre density, hair pore structure and varying pigmentation.
We produce our own finished leather from carefully sourced hides from Central and Western Europe. These hides are processed in our two modern tanneries in Tamil Nadu using the latest technology and environmentally safe chemicals. Our tanners are highly trained, spending several weeks transforming each salted hide into finished leather ready for use in a Chester’s piece.
Our shadow leather is individually hand dyed and the same technique is applied to pieces in our Signature Range as a final step when the material is already on the frame. This is one of the processes that we are proud to have meticulously perfected over our 30-year history.
The natural beauty of a Chester’s leather is only enhanced with time and use.
A Chester’s original. A full-grain leather that has been hand-stained and finished using techniques which date back to 17th century Europe.
First, our trained artisans apply several layers of water based stains on the hides. Then, following the piece’s upholstery, the artisans apply further water-based stains with a fine brush directly onto the piece to create a unique shadow effect. These pieces are Chester’s hallmark. A sofa upholstered in Shadow will live to be an heirloom.
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A full grain aniline leather with a light pull up effect, exposing a lighter tone under the surface, made from the highest grade European bovine hides. The colour of Pull-up leather will lighten when stretched and age gracefully with regular use.
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A lightly pigmented and printed full-grain leather that gives a modern look to classic styles. Nappa can be easily cleaned, however as the Chester’s Nappa is full-grain leather, it requires delicate maintenance to retain its soft touch and appearance.
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A lightly buffed natural grain leather with a rustic distressed appearance, finished in a semi-gloss. An all-time classic especially suited for Chesterfields. The tanning gives this leather a rustic and cracked appearance.
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Whilst we don’t procure fabric ourselves, we can offer advice and recommendations on the best choice of fabric and suppliers for your pieces. Choosing the right fabric is essential to the look, feel and longevity of furniture, and we are happy to share images from our archive to help you visualise and understand how various fabrics and patterns appear on different designs.