Styles7 min read
What is a Chesterfield bed? Buttoning, fabrics and styles explained
Deep buttoning is one of the oldest techniques in upholstery and still one of the most striking. On a bed, the layout of the pleats and the fabric you choose decide whether it feels like a gentlemen’s club or a calm, modern bedroom.
In this guide
- What is a Chesterfield bed?
- How far does the buttoning go?
- What is a winged Chesterfield bed?
- Which fabric is best for a Chesterfield bed?
- How do you clean a buttoned headboard?
- Can you get a Chesterfield ottoman bed?
- Will a king size Chesterfield bed fit your room?
- Is a Chesterfield bed right for you?
- Questions
Key takeaways
- A Chesterfield bed has a deep-buttoned headboard: buttons pulled into thick padding, with the fabric folded into diamond-shaped pleats between them, as on a Chesterfield sofa.
- The buttoning can stay on the headboard with a low, plain foot end, or run round the siderails and footboard for a full Chesterfield surround.
- Winged Chesterfields add side wings to the buttoned headboard; a Chesterfield divan pairs a buttoned headboard with a divan base.
- Velvet shows deep buttoning best, because the pile catches the light on each fold. Crushed velvet adds drama; bouclé and linen-look give a softer, modern take.
- Care is simple: vacuum the pleats with a soft brush attachment every few weeks and blot spills with a clean, damp cloth.
What is a Chesterfield bed?
A Chesterfield bed borrows its upholstery from the Chesterfield sofa. The upholsterer builds up thick padding on the headboard, then pulls buttons back into it in a regular grid. The fabric between the buttons folds into diamond-shaped pleats, which is why you will also hear it called deep buttoning or diamond buttoning.
Deep buttoning is different from shallow tufting, where each button leaves only a dimple in a flatter surface. On a Chesterfield the folds run from button to button, so the headboard looks quilted and three-dimensional from across the room.
Our Chesterfield beds share that buttoning but differ in how much of the frame it covers, whether the headboard has wings, and what sits underneath.
How far does the buttoning go?
The amount of buttoning changes how heavy the bed looks in the room, so it is the first thing to decide.
| Style | Where the buttoning goes | Example | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headboard only | Deep-buttoned headboard with plain siderails and a low, plain foot end | Althorp | Smaller rooms and a lighter look |
| Headboard and footboard | Buttoned headboard plus a buttoned footboard | Leonard | Rooms where the foot of the bed is on show |
| Full surround | Buttoning on the headboard, siderails and foot end | Ethan | Larger rooms where the bed is the feature |
| Winged Chesterfield | Buttoned headboard framed by upholstered wings | Montauk, Suhavi, Ethan | A statement bed with a sheltered feel |
| Chesterfield divan | Buttoned floor-standing headboard on a divan base with storage | Edmund | A tailored look with divan practicality |
A headboard-only design like Althorp keeps the drama at the wall and leaves the rest of the bed simple, which helps in a smaller room. A full surround like Ethan turns the whole frame into the feature. It looks best with space around it, where you can see the buttoning run down the sides.
What is a winged Chesterfield bed?
A winged Chesterfield puts side wings on a buttoned headboard, so the pleats wrap forward around your pillows. Montauk has curved wings, Suhavi straight ones, and Ethan pairs its wings with a fully buttoned base. They are the most dramatic beds in the range, and the most enveloping to sit up in.
Wings add width at the head end, so measure an alcove before you choose one. Our guide to wingback beds covers the space planning, and every winged design is in our winged beds collection.
Which fabric is best for a Chesterfield bed?
Velvet suits deep buttoning best. Its pile catches the light differently on each side of a fold, so the pleats read deeper and each button sits in a soft pool of shadow. A velvet Chesterfield bed is the classic version, and each of our fabrics gives the pleats a different character.
- French Velvet (plush, 16 colours) gives the cleanest, richest pleats, with a soft sheen across each diamond.
- Delta Velvet (crushed, 9 colours) shimmers unevenly as you walk past, which adds drama to buttoning and hides marks well. Its deeper shades, such as emerald, oxblood and charcoal, look rich and traditional. See our crushed velvet beds.
- Soft Marble (washed velvet, 9 colours) has a subtle marbled pattern that gives the pleats a softer, vintage feel.
- Austin (smooth matt plush, 11 colours) keeps the pleats crisp without the sheen.
- Teddy bouclé (11 colours) and Mayfair Linen (linen-look, 16 colours) make a Chesterfield modern. The pleats look softer and the bed feels less formal.
How do you clean a buttoned headboard?
Deep buttoning collects dust in the folds and around each button, so give it a few minutes every few weeks. Four habits keep it looking new:
Vacuum the pleats
Use a soft brush attachment and work along each fold and round each button. On velvet, brush in the direction of the pile.
Blot spills straight away
Press with a clean, damp cloth. Do not rub, and do not use household cleaners on the fabric.
Brush out pressure marks
Plush velvet shows marks where the pile has been pressed one way, often where you lean. They are not damage: smooth them out with your hand. Crushed and marble velvet hide them.
Keep it out of strong sun
Strong direct sunlight is hard on any upholstery. If the bed faces a bright window, draw a blind in the sunniest part of the day.
Pale bouclé and linen-look show dirt sooner than mid tones, which matters more on a buttoned headboard because dust settles in the folds. If you love a pale Chesterfield, a mink or latte shade is more forgiving than ivory.
Can you get a Chesterfield ottoman bed?
Yes. Althorp, Leonard and the winged Chesterfields can all be made with a slatted gas-lift ottoman base for £219, the same price from Single to Super King, or a metal gas-lift ottoman for £279. The ottoman is not available in Small Single. If you prefer drawers, choose an end drawer, two drawers or four, or an end- or side-opening divan base from £299.
Edmund works differently. It is a divan set with storage built into the base, so it does not take the ottoman, drawer or headboard options. Every lift-up design is in our ottoman beds collection.
Will a king size Chesterfield bed fit your room?
A king size Chesterfield bed takes a 150 × 200 cm mattress, and the frame adds roughly 5 to 25 cm on each side depending on the design, with wings at the top of that range. Allow about 3.0 × 3.0 m to walk round a king comfortably, or 2.7 × 2.8 m if space is tight.
The standard headboard is 54 inches (about 137 cm) tall. At 72 inches (+£189) or 73 to 79 inches (+£279), a Chesterfield headboard becomes a wall of buttoning, which suits a high ceiling. The headboard is also the largest single piece to carry in; if your stairs are tight, a split headboard (+£119) is made in two halves.
Three Chesterfield beds in king size
Headboard only, head and foot, and winged full surround. Prices shown are for the king size frame.
ChesterfieldChoose fabric and size
ChesterfieldChoose fabric and size
WingedChoose fabric and sizeIs a Chesterfield bed right for you?
Chesterfield or another style?
A Chesterfield suits you if
- You like a classic, tailored look
- You sit up in bed and want a padded, shaped headboard
- You want velvet that looks rich in any colour
- The bed is the focal point of the room
Look at another style if
- You want the plainest, most minimal look
- You would rather not vacuum round buttons
- The room is small and you want the bed to recede
- You prefer flat, clean surfaces
If you like the tailored feel but not the formality, a panelled or piped headboard such as Breckin or Serene gives a similar rhythm with flatter surfaces, and it is easier to keep dust-free.
The verdict
A Chesterfield bed is a deep-buttoned bed in the style of the Chesterfield sofa, and the most classic look you can give an upholstered frame. Choose headboard-only buttoning, like Althorp, for a lighter look or a smaller room, and a winged or full-surround design, like Montauk or Ethan, when the bed is the centrepiece. Velvet shows the pleats best; choose crushed velvet for drama, or bouclé and linen-look for a softer, modern take.
Questions people ask
What is a Chesterfield bed?
A Chesterfield bed has a deep-buttoned headboard in the style of a Chesterfield sofa: buttons set deep into thick padding, with the fabric folded into diamond-shaped pleats between them.
What is the difference between Chesterfield buttoning and tufting?
Chesterfield buttoning is deep, with folds running from button to button in a diamond pattern. Tufting is usually shallower and leaves a dimple at each button without the pleats.
Can you get a Chesterfield bed with storage?
Yes. Most Chesterfield frames can be made with a gas-lift ottoman base, a divan base or drawers. The Edmund is a divan set with storage built into the base.
Is velvet good for a Chesterfield bed?
Velvet is the classic choice, because the pile catches the light on each fold and makes the pleats look deeper. Crushed velvet also hides marks well.
How do you clean a Chesterfield headboard?
Vacuum along the pleats and round the buttons with a soft brush attachment every few weeks, and blot spills with a clean, damp cloth. Do not rub or use household cleaners.
Are Chesterfield beds old-fashioned?
In dark velvet with a full surround they look traditional. In bouclé, linen-look or a pale velvet, with buttoning on the headboard only, a Chesterfield looks fresh and modern.
About Bedline
Bedline makes upholstered beds, ottoman beds and TV beds to order in Britain, in six UK sizes and 72 colours, and delivers them free to the UK mainland. Our guides are written by the team who help customers choose their beds every day on WhatsApp, so they answer the questions we are actually asked.
