Walk Through Portobello Market And You’ll See Vintage Wingbacks With Cracked Leather. They’re Marked And Scarred But That’s Their Story

London’s retro sofagruppe Revival: Why Vintage Armchairs and Sofas Still Rule I’ve always had a soft spot for old furniture. My first memory of proper furniture is my grandad’s wingback chair. The fabric was torn but held together, but it told a story. Back in the sixties, an armchair wasn’t just a seat. Chairs lived longer than flats. It’s in the sag of the springs. I found a retro accent chair in a Dalston car boot. Most people would have walked on, but the history spoke louder than the flaws.

Friends always fight to sit in it. Furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Mayfair goes glossy, with velvet armchairs. Shoreditch stays messy, with bold fabrics. Every corner tells a different story. Mass-produced pieces fade in months. Vintage finds last decades. Every stain has a story. If you ask me straight, a battered sofa tells more truth than any showroom. A sofa should tell your story. When you walk past a glossy showroom, wander a street full of second-hand shops.

Choose a funky accent chair, and make it part of your story.