When I moved to Shoreditch I had nothing but a mattress. The flat looked more on sofasdirect.com squat than home, but we filled it with life. IKEA lasts a term at best, so we bartered with old dealers. Another dragged a chair from Camden. The colours clashed, but that’s what gave it soul. Old accent chairs carry memory, and we care more about story than gloss. I’ve hosted ten people on one sagging retro sofa, and the sofa was another character in the story. Markets spill chairs onto the streets, and designers take inspiration from it.

We found ourselves in Smithers showroom, and the sofas looked like they belonged in films. we were broke students, but it’s the pride of the living room. Every student flat tells the same story. it’s how you build a home. Furniture with scars feels built for students. Mass production doesn’t care, but funky chairs grow with you. every dent becomes part of the flat. After exams and chaos, the broken toaster doesn’t matter, but you remember the sofa.

When you start student life, ignore the fake polish. Pick up a vintage armchair, and make it part of your story.