Moving into a student flat ain’t glamorous. The kitchen had a dodgy kettle, but we filled it with life. No student can afford Mayfair prices, so we begged, borrowed and carried. Someone even nabbed a table from outside a pub. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s what made it real. Retro armchairs have weight, and sofas and armchairs uk it doesn’t matter if it’s scratched. I’ve balanced takeaway boxes on a mismatched chair, and those seats carried us. Every warehouse flat tells the same story, and designers take inspiration from it.

My flatmate dragged me into Smithers, and everything felt alive, not plastic. we had to haggle, but that chair still sits in the flat. Every student flat tells the same story. it’s what makes memories. Retro sofas don’t care if you spill. Catalogue gloss falls apart fast, but funky chairs grow with you. every dent becomes part of the flat. After exams and chaos, the dodgy landlord fades away, sofa store but the vintage pieces carry the whole story.

If you find yourself in a Shoreditch flat, leave the glossy showrooms behind. Choose a funky accent chair, and watch it age with you.