Retro Comforts In Shoreditch – A Student’s Tale

When I moved to Shoreditch I had nothing but a mattress. The carpet smelled like beer, but we filled it with life.

Flat-pack breaks too quick, so we begged, borrowed and accent contemporary chairs carried. We carried a wingback through Dalston. The colours clashed, luxury armchairs but that’s what made it ours.

Vintage sofas feel alive, and we care more about story than gloss. I’ve balanced takeaway boxes on a mismatched chair, and every time it felt right.

Markets spill chairs onto the streets, and Smithers down in Shoreditch knows it. I stopped by Smithers looking for nothing, and everything felt alive, not plastic. we were broke students, but that chair still sits in the flat.

We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. it’s half the fun. Retro sofas don’t care if you spill.

Mass production doesn’t care, but old sofas age into character. Every scratch adds more story.

By the end of the year, the stress disappears, but the armchair stays in your mind.

So if you’re moving to London, skip the flat-pack rubbish. Grab a retro sofa, and see how it shapes your memories.