Life in a student flat starts rough but gets colourful. The carpet smelled like beer, but we built it piece by piece. Flat-pack breaks too quick, so we searched markets. Someone even nabbed a table from outside a pub. The colours clashed, but that’s what gave it soul. Chairs with scars feel stronger, and students get that instinctively. I’ve crashed into a leather sofa after a night out, and the sofa was another character in the story. Shoreditch is perfect for this life, and designers take inspiration from it.

I stopped by Smithers looking for nothing, and the sofas looked like they belonged in films. we left with just one piece, but that single long chair still sits in the flat. Ask around and you’ll hear it. it’s how you build a home. Furniture with scars feels built for students. Modern stuff? Forget it, but vintage carries weight. every stain means another night. Once the parties are done, the dodgy landlord fades away, but the vintage pieces carry the whole story.

So if you’re moving to London, skip the flat-pack rubbish. Take home something with scars, and let it carry your student nights.