Wander around Camden Lock and you’ll stumble on vintage wingbacks with cracked leather. They’ve aged in public, but that’s the point

From Markets to Mansions: London’s Love for Vintage Sofas and Armchairs Vintage sofas just feel more real than anything new. We had an old floral sofa that was patched and sagging. It sagged in the middle and smelled faintly of tea, funky chair but it had heart. During the heyday of Soho, divingspot.co.kr you didn’t buy throwaway chairs. You’d hand down sofas from parents to kids. It’s in the weight of the wood. I rescued a battered armchair from outside a shop in Peckham.

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. London’s furniture scene splits by neighbourhood. Belgravia keeps it polished, with deep sofas. Brixton thrives on colour, with funky retro chairs. The contrast keeps it alive. Showroom sofas don’t talk back. Retro pieces get better with years. Every stain has a story. When it comes down to it, retro armchairs will always beat flat-pack.

An armchair should hug you back. Before you grab a soulless bargain, wander a street full of second-hand shops. Pick up a retro armchair, and make it part of your story.