Take A Stroll In Spitalfields And You’ll See Retro Sofas Piled High. They Ain’t Showroom Clean But That’s The Point

Vintage Armchairs, accent chair and sofa Chairs, and Sofas: Proper Character for Real Homes I can’t walk past a retro armchair without stopping for a look. When I was a kid my nan had this battered armchair. The fabric was torn but held together, but it had heart. During the heyday of Soho, people kept things for decades. You’d go second-hand instead of brand new. That history clings to vintage pieces. I rescued a battered armchair from outside a shop in Peckham. It weren’t pretty at first glance, but the weight told me it was the real deal.

Friends always fight to sit in it. Furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Mayfair goes glossy, with velvet armchairs. Shoreditch stays messy, with industrial armchairs. The clash gives it character. Modern flat-pack doesn’t hold a candle. Armchairs with scars last decades. They remind us life isn’t flawless. When it comes down to it, an old funky accent chair means more than new gloss. An armchair should hug you back. So next time you’re tempted by something new, go dig through a car boot.

Pick up a retro armchair, and see how it shapes your nights.