Student living in East London is messy but fun. The carpet smelled like beer, but we gave it soul with furniture. Forget glossy showrooms, so we searched markets. We carried a wingback through Dalston. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s what made it home. Funky retro seating has character, and students get that instinctively. I’ve fallen asleep in a battered armchair with a book, and the chairs became mates. Every warehouse flat tells the same story, and shops in the area thrive on it.

My flatmate dragged me into Smithers, and unusual settees the place was full of funky retro chairs. We couldn’t afford much, but everyone fights to sit in it. We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. it’s what makes memories. designer armchairs don’t mind if you fall asleep in them. Brand-new looks boring, but real pieces stay alive. every creak is another laugh. Looking back after twelve months, the broken toaster doesn’t matter, unique armchairs uk but the armchair stays in your mind. So if you’re moving to London, forget the catalogue shine.

Take home something with scars, and make it part of your story.