Head down Brick Lane on a Saturday and you’ll find sofas with decades of life. They’ve got stains and creaks, but that’s what gives them life

Vintage Armchairs, Accent Chairs, and Sofas: Proper Character for Real Homes There’s something about vintage pieces that grabs me. The family armchair was covered in throws but still solid. The arms were shiny from years of elbows, but it had heart. During the heyday of Soho, you didn’t buy throwaway chairs. Chairs lived longer than flats. It’s in the sag of the springs. I bartered for a sofa on Brick Lane one rainy morning.

The legs were wobbling, but the weight told me it was the real deal. It’s carried me through late nights and lazy Sundays. Furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Mayfair goes glossy, with grand space-saving seating options accent chairs. Shoreditch stays messy, with mismatched sofas. The clash gives it character. Modern flat-pack doesn’t hold a candle. Old-school sofas last decades. Every creak is a memory. Truth be told, vintage accent chair retro armchairs will always beat flat-pack. Your seat should outlast the years.

When you walk past a glossy showroom, single long chair step into a dusty warehouse. Save a battered seat, and watch it age alongside you.