When I moved to Shoreditch I had nothing but a mattress. The flat looked more squat than home, but we dragged in whatever we could find. IKEA lasts a term at best, so we hunted retro. We carried a wingback through Dalston. It felt like Shoreditch, but that’s what made it ours. Funky retro seating has character, and it fits our lifestyle. I’ve watched half my flat pass out across two chairs, and the sofa was another character in the story.

East London is built on mix and mess, and shops in the area thrive on it. We wandered past Smithers one Saturday, and the place was full of funky retro chairs. money was tight, but it’s survived three house parties and a flood. We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. It’s part of student life. Accent chairs don’t flinch when four people pile on. Mass production doesn’t care, but real pieces stay alive. every creak is another laugh. When you’re moving out, cocktail chair the cracked window gets forgotten, but the vintage pieces carry the whole story.

When you think furniture, don’t waste time on the soulless new. Take home something with scars, and let it shout Shoreditch every time you sit.