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The English Knole Sofa

The Original Knole sofa, thought to have been made in around 1640 has a rectangular back which stands tall between two padded, straight arms. The angular arms can be adjusted to be lowered or raised on an iron ratchet, it is thought that people used to sleep on the Knole sofa, finding it more comfortable than a bed. The settee was a revolutionary piece of furniture and a softer alternative to the harder benches at the time. It's an ancestor to the modern sofa, first coined 'saffaw' in the 1700s, which can now be found in every home in Britain.

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Pictured above is our own reupholstered antique Knole Sofa, displayed in our Wirksworth showroom

It is thought that the original Knole sofa was acquired by the Sackville family to seat King William and Queen Mary in the 1600s, so it was quite literally a royal throne. Since then, it has hosted brilliant women such as Vita Sackville West, and Virginia Woolf. The original settee sits in Knole House in Kent, preserved by the National Trust as a British Treasure.

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Beautiful detail of the golden tassels, which can be extended to allow the arms of the sofa to drop down

Our own Knole sofa, has been lovingly reupholstered in our luxury British velvet, Hampton Hex. Before it came to Blackpop, the settee could be traced back to two generations of the same family. The fabric was designed by us in Derbyshire, in collaboration with the Sir John Soane's Museum in London, 
working and reworking architects’ drawings, paintings and objects d'art. The settee sits grandly in the window of our Wirksworth showroom, as a reminder of the connection between the historic Knole Settee and the artistic community.

We also have an array of reupholstered antique and custom furniture in our Wirksworth showroom.

 

 

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