Walk through Portobello Market and you’ll find funky accent chairs in bold fabrics. They’re marked and scarred, but that’s their story

London’s Retro Revival: Why Vintage Armchairs and cool armchairs Sofas Still Rule Vintage sofas just feel more real than anything new. We had an old floral sofa that was patched and sagging. It weren’t showroom-perfect, but it carried memories. When London was swinging, an armchair wasn’t just a seat. Chairs lived longer than flats. You can feel it when you sit down. I once pulled a Chesterfield out of a warehouse in Hackney. Some would’ve laughed at the state of it, but you can’t fake that kind of comfort.

That chair still sits in my flat. Furniture in London shifts with the postcode. Belgravia keeps it polished, with grand accent chairs. Shoreditch stays messy, with industrial armchairs. London wouldn’t be London without the variety. Showroom sofas don’t talk back. Vintage finds grow with you. Every creak is a memory. If you ask me straight, I’ll pick a vintage sofa over new every time. family-friendly furniture should live with you. When you walk past a glossy showroom, stop and think of the markets.

Choose a funky accent chair, and let it shout London every time you sit.