London Retro Grit: Armchairs And Sofas With Proper Character
Round here it ain’t about spotless gloss. Cut across Shoreditch backstreets and you’ll stumble on sofas with scars. They ain’t perfect, but they carry weight.
When my nan was about, a sofa weren’t just a sofa. You’d work overtime for a accent chair that mattered, and it’d see you through kids and rows. That’s what retro still counts for.
I’ll never forget, killing time before a pint. I spotted a battered Chesterfield. It weren’t showroom clean, but I sat in and realised straight — this seat had lived.
Car boots keep secrets. Brick Lane throw up armchairs with edge. You need the bottle to haggle. I’ve dug through piles of rubbish, but the sofa finds you.
Each bit of London’s got its own flavour. Kensington plays plush, with deep armchairs. Camden’s mad and messy, with funky armchairs. Hackney’s raw, and wingback armchair you’ll see patched seats that feel like the city itself.
People make it what it is. Cockney dealers shouting prices. The mix makes the market. I’ve argued for hours over a price and dragged sofas down streets. That’s London grit.
At the end of the day, telegra.ph a scratch ain’t a problem. a chair’s part of your story. It holds arguments.
If you’re on the hunt, forget your catalogue orders. Pull an accent chair with scars, and watch it grow old with you.