Life in a student flat starts rough but gets colourful. The flat looked more squat than home, but we filled it with life. IKEA lasts a term at best, so we bartered with old dealers. Another dragged a chair from Camden. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s why it worked. Old accent chairs carry memory, and it fits our lifestyle. I’ve crashed into a leather sofa after a night out, and the furniture was part of the night. Retro custom furniture designs feels natural here, and dealers live for it.

One afternoon I stumbled into Smithers, and everything felt alive, not plastic. money was tight, but it’s become the throne of the house. Ask around and you’ll hear it. it’s where life happens. Retro sofas don’t care if you spill. Mass production doesn’t care, but retro lasts. Every scratch adds more story. After exams and chaos, the broken toaster doesn’t matter, but the mismatched set still makes you laugh. When you think furniture, ignore the fake polish.

Pick up a vintage armchair, and let it shout Shoreditch every time you sit.