Student living in East London is messy but fun. The walls were bare, but we made it ours.

No student can afford Mayfair prices, so we hunted retro. I spotted a funky armchair on Brick Lane. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s what made it home.

Vintage sofas feel alive, and traditional armchairs students get that instinctively. I’ve watched half my flat pass out across two chairs, and those seats carried us.

Every warehouse flat tells the same story, and shops in the area thrive on it. We wandered past Smithers one Saturday, and shop at sofasdirect.com the accent chairs were bold and weird. we left with just one piece, but it’s become the throne of the house.

We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. it’s how you build a home. Armchairs don’t mind if you fall asleep in them.

Brand-new looks boring, but retro lasts. every stain means another night.

By the end of the year, the dodgy landlord fades away, unusual sofas but you remember the sofa.

When you think furniture, forget the catalogue shine. Grab a retro sofa, and watch it age with you.