Walk Through Portobello Market And You’ll Find Armchairs Stacked Outside Shops. They’re Marked And Scarred But That’s What Gives Them Life

London’s Retro Revival: couch and accent chairs Why Vintage Armchairs and Sofas Still Rule There’s something about vintage pieces that grabs me. We had an old floral sofa that was patched and sagging. The arms were shiny from years of elbows, but it was part of us. When London was swinging, a sofa wasn’t just a sofa. You’d keep the same chair your whole life. That history clings to vintage pieces. I once pulled a Chesterfield out of a warehouse in Hackney.

Some would’ve laughed at the state of it, but the history spoke louder than the flaws. Friends always fight to sit in it. Every borough in London has its own taste. Chelsea leans plush, with velvet armchairs. Shoreditch stays messy, armchair retro with funky retro chairs. The clash gives it character. Modern flat-pack doesn’t hold a candle. Vintage finds grow with you. They carry scratches like tattoos. Truth be told, an old funky accent chair means more than new gloss.

A chair should hold your nights. If you’re scrolling catalogue sites, wander a street full of second-hand shops. Take home something with scars, and see how it shapes your nights.