Student living in East London is messy but fun. The windows rattled in the wind, but we gave it soul with furniture. No student can afford Mayfair prices, so we bartered with old dealers. Someone even nabbed a table from outside a pub. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s what made it home. Old accent chairs carry memory, and it fits our lifestyle. I’ve watched half my flat pass out across two chairs, and traditional armchair those seats carried us.

Retro furniture feels natural here, and Smithers down in Shoreditch knows it. One afternoon I stumbled into Smithers, and 12.viromin.com the place was full of funky retro chairs. We couldn’t afford much, but that chair still sits in the flat. Ask around and you’ll hear it. It’s part of student life. Vintage pieces survive it. Brand-new looks boring, but vintage carries weight. every creak is another laugh. Looking back after twelve months, the cracked window gets forgotten, but the armchair stays in your mind.

When you start student life, forget the catalogue shine. Make space for a classic seat, and let it shout Shoreditch every time you sit.