I’ve been in the trade man and boy for decades. Amongst the squares and crescents, customers aren’t simply shopping for wood and fabric. I’ve seen families walk in, and they all ask for quality. A retro armchair, gives them that. I remember selling a Chesterfield to a gentleman from St John’s Wood, and he told me years later it was still going strong. That’s the point with retro. They waste time with flat-pack, but sooner or later they return. Gloss wears off, whereas old chairs carry life.

Taste splits by borough. Kensington demands velvet, with deep seats. Dalston experimental, with loud armchairs. That’s the charm. Here’s the truth, an armchair becomes memory. Mass production never delivers it. I still knock on the wood for weight, custom furniture designs and the real thing speaks. History sits with you. So when you’re tempted by the new, pause. Pick up a retro armchair, and make it part of your Mayfair truth.