When I moved to Shoreditch I had nothing but a mattress. The windows rattled in the wind, but we made it ours. Forget glossy showrooms, so we begged, borrowed and carried. One mate found a sofa in Hackney. Nothing matched the walls, but that’s what made it home. Chairs with scars feel stronger, and students get that instinctively. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and the furniture was part of the night. Every warehouse flat tells the same story, and Smithers down in Shoreditch knows it.
One afternoon I stumbled into Smithers, and the vintage armchairs carried scars I loved. money was tight, but that chair still sits in the flat. We’ve all shoved sofas through windows. it’s what makes memories. Armchairs don’t mind if you fall asleep in them. Flat-pack won’t last a term, but retro lasts. every dent becomes part of the flat. Looking back after twelve months, thaprobaniannostalgia.com the stress disappears, but the mismatched set still makes you laugh. If you find yourself in a Shoreditch flat, don’t waste time on the soulless new.
Pick up a vintage armchair, and see how it shapes your memories.
