Across the capital, history mixes with design every day. Lose yourself in Portobello Market and leather armchair green you’ll spot deep-buttoned Chesterfields stacked in warehouse corners.
This is more than sitting down — they carry the fingerprints of time. A velvet sofa could have sat in a Chelsea townhouse.
Not long ago I found myself in Dalston, looking for nothing special, when I came across a deep-buttoned Chesterfield. The velvet worn thin, bedroom chair vintage but it had soul. That’s the truth of vintage seating in London — they hold their ground.
London homes are small, unusual armchairs but Londoners always squeeze in for classic wingbacks. Inside Chelsea homes, a simple accent chair can carry style.
The chase for retro designs won’t quit. Everyday buyers dig into warehouses for pieces with scars. Spitalfields still delivers surprises if you know when to arrive.
The capital splits design by postcode. Mayfair glitters with polish, with deep accent chairs. Peckham shakes it up, with sofas in clashing fabrics.
Call it what you like, time is the polish. A sofa is more than a seat. it holds conversations.
When you shop again, forget mass-market. Find an accent chair with grit and let it write your chapter