Moving into a student flat ain’t glamorous. The windows rattled in the wind, but we dragged in whatever we could find.

Forget glossy showrooms, so we searched markets. I spotted a funky armchair on Brick Lane. The colours clashed, but that’s what made it home.

Funky retro seating has character, and students get that instinctively. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and those seats carried us.

Shoreditch is perfect for this life, and dealers live for it. We wandered past Smithers one Saturday, and the place was full of funky retro chairs. we were broke students, but it’s survived three house parties and a flood.

Ask around and you’ll hear it. It’s part of student life. Vintage pieces survive it.

Brand-new looks boring, but funky chairs grow with you. Every scratch adds more story.

Looking back after twelve months, the cracked window gets forgotten, but that funky accent couch chair is legend.

So if you’re moving to London, forget the catalogue shine. Make space for a classic seat, accent sofa and see how it shapes your memories.