I grew up amongst furniture, and I’ve never left it. Amongst the squares and crescents, retro style armchair a sofa is never just a sofa. Designers with clients in tow, and they all want character. A velvet seat with history, carries the room. I sent a set of accent chairs to a Grosvenor Square apartment, and the scars became part of the charm. That’s the Mayfair way. They flick through glossy catalogues, but at the end they admit. Fabric frays fast, whereas old chairs carry life.

Furniture mirrors the postcode. Chelsea wants polish, with deep seats. Hackney raw, with funky fabrics. That’s what keeps us alive. Let me put it plainly, accent chairs outlive their buyers. Glossy showrooms don’t sell that. I still knock on the wood for weight, and the real thing speaks. Classic pieces endure. If you’re thinking quick buy, take a breath. Pick up a leather chair retro armchair, and funky arm chair let it settle into your life.