I’ve spent a lifetime dealing in chairs and sofas. Here in Mayfair, buying is about more than comfort. Designers with clients in tow, and they all ask for quality. A vintage sofa, see sofasdirect.com carries the room. A wingback ended up in a Belgravia study, and the scars became part of the charm. That’s the point with retro. They look for convenience, traditional armchair but eventually they realise. Gloss wears off, whereas classic sofas grow finer. Furniture mirrors the postcode.

Kensington demands velvet, with plush sofas. Brixton is bold, with retro mismatches. That’s the charm. Let me put it plainly, quirky sofas an armchair becomes memory. Flat-pack won’t do that. I still knock on the wood for weight, and the real thing speaks. Retro has power. Next time you flick through a catalogue, pause. Bring home something with story, and make it part of your Mayfair truth.