Red Leather Chester Sofa by Poltrona Frau, 1993

The Chester sofa features a spring system made with hand-placed conical steel springs, secured to jute straps on a seasoned beech frame. The seat padding is made of rubberized horsehair, while the backrest and armrests are crafted from hand-shaped vegetable horsehair. The seat cushions are filled with goose down. The legs are made of black lacquered beech.

Chester, signed by Poltrona Frau, is a sofa with a seasoned beech frame and a seat cushion filled with goose down. The backrest and armrests feature a hand-crafted tufted design. The outer backrest is finished with a row of leather-covered nails.

Poltrona Frau is synonymous with Made in Italy furniture. If we close our eyes and imagine a sofa, it is the Chester; if we think of Pelle Frau, our minds associate it with a guarantee of excellence. For over a hundred years, it has been the spokesperson for an unmistakable style, rooted in tradition but never ceasing to innovate. Among new products and successful models, the Poltrona Frau catalog presents furniture and furnishings with authentic and exclusive design.

Lorenzo Frau, known as Renzo, was born in Cagliari in 1881. He left Sardinia to serve in the military in Milan, concluding his service with the rank of lieutenant of infantry. He married Savina Pisati and moved to Turin, then a crucial city for Italian culture. Initially, he worked as a sales representative for the Gribaudi company and then for Dermoide Patent, a producer of faux leather. While in Great Britain for work, he had the opportunity to discover Chesterfield chairs, immediately recognizing their potential and successfully starting their importation to Italy. At the same time, he was also attracted to models in the French and Central European styles. He decided to create his own artisanal production workshop.

In 1912, Poltrona Frau was born. From initial “in-style” work, Frau soon moved to direct design. Poltrona Frau became not only a production hub but also a meeting point for artists and intellectuals. Renzo Frau used these relationships to consolidate the brand's image: successful models quickly followed one another.

With the outbreak of World War I, Frau was called back to arms, and his wife Savina courageously took the reins of the company. Meanwhile, Frau's chairs entered the most important palaces, even being used by the royal family. Renzo Frau passed away prematurely in 1926, leaving behind a substantial archive of projects that would allow his wife to consistently fuel Poltrona Frau's production in the years to come.