How to clean a cracked leather Chesterfield?

Start with a soft brush to remove dust from the deep crevices. Dirt acts like an abrasive when you sit on the sofa and accelerates the cracking. Wipe the surface with a damp cloth and mild saddle soap. Avoid soaking the hide. Once dry, rub a clear leather conditioner into the cracks to stop them widening.

I inherited a huge heavy chesterfield sofa from my grandad but some of the buttons have popped off, can these actually be fixed or is it ruined?

An upholsterer can replace missing buttons relatively easily. They use a long needle to push new twine through the existing holes in the carcase. The challenge lies in matching the leather. A good restorer will source older hide or dye a new scrap to blend with your faded antique Chesterfield. Keep any loose buttons you find in the crevices. Reusing the original leather discs always produces a better result than covering new ones.

Do old Chesterfields have springs in the seat?

Yes, most nineteenth-century examples rely on heavy coil springs. These sit beneath the padding to provide resistance and shape. They are lashed to the webbing by hand. When a seat sags unevenly, it usually means the tying twine has snapped.

The legs on a Victorian chesterfield I am looking at buying seem really short compared to the big body, were they made like that originally?

Those low proportions are typical. The design relies on a massive upper body sitting close to the floor to maintain stability when people drop into the seat. Turned mahogany or walnut bun feet often barely raise the frame above the castors. This low centre of gravity stops the heavy frame from racking. Check the bottom of the feet anyway. People sometimes saw off the original castors to get a sofa through a narrow doorway.

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Antique Chesterfields from the 19th Century

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The antique Chesterfield is a deep-buttoned sofa with the back and arms set at exactly the same height, originally built to keep gentlemen upright and comfortable in clubs and libraries.