First year in London was chaos. The kitchen had a dodgy kettle, but we made it ours. No student can afford Mayfair prices, so we begged, borrowed and carried. One mate found a sofa in Hackney. Everything mismatched, but that’s what made it real. Retro armchairs have weight, and we care more about story than gloss. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and the chairs became mates. Shoreditch is perfect for accent contemporary chairs this life, and dealers live for chairs with sofa it.

We wandered past Smithers one Saturday, http://www.sofasdirect.com and the vintage armchairs carried scars I loved. We couldn’t afford much, but it’s become the throne of the house. Every student flat tells the same story. it’s what makes memories. Vintage pieces survive it. Modern stuff? Forget it, but vintage carries weight. every dent becomes part of the flat. By the end of the year, the stress disappears, but the armchair stays in your mind.

Next time you walk past a market, ignore the fake polish. Choose a funky accent chair, and see how it shapes your memories.