Furniture has been my bread and butter since the fifties. Amongst the squares and crescents, buying is about more than comfort. Old families from Belgravia and Kensington, and they’re looking for furniture that will outlast them. A battered old wingback, tells the truth. I sent a set of accent chairs to a Grosvenor Square apartment, and he told me years later it was still going strong. That’s the Mayfair way. They flick through glossy catalogues, but eventually they realise.

Modern things break, whereas old chairs carry life. This city speaks through its homes. Hampstead seeks calm, with plush sofas. Dalston experimental, with loud armchairs. That’s what keeps us alive. I’ll tell you something else, customers never forget the leather chair retro that mattered. Modern factory pieces can’t compete. I still check the stitching for strength, couch and accent chairs and the truth tells itself. Vintage has truth. If you’re thinking quick buy, stop. Choose a funky accent chair, and make it part of your Mayfair truth.