First year in London was chaos. The flat looked more squat than comfortable home furniture, but we built it piece by piece. New furniture is soulless, so we begged, borrowed and carried. One mate found a sofa in Hackney. Everything mismatched, but that’s what made it real.
Funky retro seating has character, and it fits our lifestyle. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and those seats carried us.
East London is built on mix and mess, and students rely on it. One afternoon I stumbled into Smithers, and everything felt alive, not plastic. we left with just one piece, but everyone fights to sit in it.
We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. It’s part of student life. Armchairs don’t mind if you fall asleep in them.
Brand-new looks boring, but real pieces stay alive. every dent becomes part of the flat.
Looking back after twelve months, the stress disappears, quirky sofas but the vintage pieces carry the whole story.
When you start student life, skip the flat-pack rubbish. Make space for a classic seat, and let it shout Shoreditch every time you sit.