Moving into a student flat ain’t glamorous. The windows rattled in the wind, but we filled it with life. New furniture is soulless, so we begged, luxury lounge seating borrowed and carried. We carried a wingback through Dalston. The colours clashed, but that’s what gave it soul. Old accent chairs carry memory, and we care more about story than gloss. I’ve balanced takeaway boxes on a mismatched chair, and every time it felt right. Markets spill chairs onto the streets, and designers take inspiration from it.

I stopped by Smithers looking for nothing, and the vintage armchairs carried scars I loved. we had to haggle, but it’s survived three house parties and a flood. Ask around and you’ll hear it. it’s how you build a home. Furniture with scars feels built for students. Modern stuff? Forget it, but funky chairs grow with you. every creak is another laugh. Once the parties are done, the cracked window gets forgotten, but the armchair stays in your mind.

Next time you walk past a market, don’t waste time on the soulless new. Choose a funky accent chair, and let it shout Shoreditch every time you sit.