We owned a tight seat sofa years ago and while I like the look of them, I didnt care for how they wore, unevenly. As you said cushions can be rotated and even refilled in time. The new leather sectional we bought last years has cushions but has some velcro on the bottom so there is no issue about sliding out.

I think tight-seats are more comfortable than cushions. If the tight-seat is done correctly, it should wear much better than cushions. But that is a gamble now. I don't trust manufacturing now at all, including high end.

If I wanted a tight-seat Chesterfield, I'd try to find a used, authentic old one and have my upholsterer do the upholstering and make the seat. That way I'd know it was done right, tight, and would hold up. Can't tell you what I went though re: my new sofa's (Hickory Chair - $6K sofa) with cushioning. Absolutely maddening. I'm going to have to have my upholsterer make a cushion for the sofa because the one HC made for it is awful. I was furious.

You can put a piece of non-skid rug pad under the cushions to help with the sliding.

My preference is tight back and cushioned for the seat. It makes me crazy to fuss with back cushions and they always end up slumpy looking. I like to be able to flip and rotated seat cushions to adjust for wear. My current sofa is 13 years old and looks great.

Thanks for all the feedback. It seems I'm leaning towards cushioned. I would be sick at spending $5K+ and have the tight seat wear unevenly. Definitely prefer a tight back, agree with rearranging those cushions. Good tips about the nonskid and velcro!

I think an antique real deal Chesterfield would be difficult to find in SoCal. I don't see a lot of upholstered furniture in antique shops locally. And then I'd have to find an upholsterer I trusted, and I know good ones aren't cheap.