When I moved to Shoreditch I had nothing but a mattress. The kitchen had a dodgy kettle, but we filled it with life. IKEA lasts a term at best, so we grabbed second-hand. I spotted a funky armchair on Brick Lane. Everything mismatched, but that’s what made it ours. Retro armchairs have weight, and students get that instinctively. I’ve balanced takeaway boxes on a mismatched chair, and the sofa was another character in the story. Every warehouse flat tells the same story, and designers take inspiration from it.

My flatmate dragged me into Smithers, and the place was full of funky retro chairs. we had to haggle, but it’s the pride of the living room. We’ve all dragged furniture through rain. It’s part of student life. Accent chairs don’t flinch when four people pile on. Mass production doesn’t care, but vintage carries weight. every wobble tells the truth. Looking back after twelve months, the cracked window gets forgotten, but you remember the sofa.

Next time you walk past a market, leave the glossy showrooms behind. Grab a retro sofagruppe sofa, and see how it shapes your memories.