My world has always been the shop floor, the showroom, the warehouse. In the showrooms of Grosvenor, people don’t buy just to sit. Designers with clients in tow, and they all ask for quality. A velvet seat with history, carries the room. There was a velvet sofa that went to a townhouse in Chelsea, and the sofa aged but never gave way. This is why old beats new. They waste time with flat-pack, but sooner or later they return.

Mass production doesn’t care, whereas real furniture stays. The capital’s rooms all look different. Kensington demands velvet, with deep seats. Camden stays chaotic, with upcycled seats. That’s the reality. I’ve learnt over years, a sofa becomes family. You don’t get that from a catalogue. I still knock on the wood for weight, and sofa with accent chair the difference is clear. retro arm chair has power. Next time you flick through a catalogue, step back. Take on a classic wingback, and allow it to tell your story.