Moving into a student flat ain’t glamorous. The carpet smelled like beer, but we filled it with life. Flat-pack breaks too quick, so we grabbed second-hand. Another dragged a chair from Camden. The colours clashed, but that’s what made it home. Vintage sofas feel alive, and we care more about story than gloss. I’ve watched half my flat pass out across two chairs, and the chairs became mates. Markets spill chairs with sofa onto the streets, and Smithers down in Shoreditch knows it.
We wandered past Smithers one Saturday, and the place was full of funky retro chairs. we left with just one piece, but it’s become the throne of the house. Every student flat tells the same story. it’s where life happens. Vintage pieces survive it. Mass production doesn’t care, but old sofas age into character. every creak is another laugh. When you’re moving out, you don’t remember the kettle, but you remember the sofa.
So if you’re moving to London, skip the flat-pack rubbish. Grab a retro sofa, and see how it shapes your memories.
