How I Furnished My Student Flat In Shoreditch With Retro Style

Moving into a student flat ain’t glamorous. The carpet smelled like beer, but we filled it with life. IKEA lasts a term at best, so we begged, borrowed and carried. I spotted a funky armchair on Brick Lane. Everything mismatched, but that’s what made it real. Old accent chairs carry memory, and we don’t need polish, accent couch we need real. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and the sofa was another character in the story.

Retro furniture feels natural here, and dealers live for it. One afternoon I stumbled into Smithers, home seating solutions and the place was full of funky retro chairs. we left with just one piece, but that chair still sits in the flat. Every student flat tells the same story. it’s where life happens. Armchairs don’t mind if you fall asleep in them. Flat-pack won’t last a term, but retro lasts. Every scratch adds more story. When you’re moving out, the broken toaster doesn’t matter, funky arm chair but the vintage pieces carry the whole story.

Next time you walk past a market, leave the glossy showrooms behind. Pick up a vintage armchair, and let it carry your student nights.