Why London’s Finest Still Choose Retro Sofas And Accent Chairs

My world has always been the shop floor, the showroom, the warehouse. In the showrooms of Grosvenor, customers aren’t simply shopping for wood and fabric. Couples step through the door, and they’re all searching for the same thing. A velvet seat with history, never fails to speak up. One battered club chair was claimed for a Notting Hill film set, armchair funky and he told me years later it was still going strong.

That’s the point with retro. They flick through glossy catalogues, stylish upholstered seating but at the end they admit. Fabric frays fast, whereas vintage lasts. Taste splits by borough. Kensington demands velvet, with mahogany accent pieces. Camden stays chaotic, with retro mismatches. That’s the charm. I’ve learnt over years, customers never forget the chair that mattered. Flat-pack won’t do that. I still touch the arms of the chairs, retro arm chair and the real thing speaks.

Old furniture lives. Next time you flick through a catalogue, take a breath. Pick up a retro armchair, and watch it age gracefully.