London’s Retro Revival: Why Vintage unusual armchairs and Sofas Still Rule Retro chairs and sofas have been part of my life for sofas and armchairs uk years. The family armchair was covered in throws but still solid. The fabric was torn but held together, but it was part of us. When London was swinging, furniture meant something. Chairs lived longer than flats. It’s in the sag of the springs. I rescued a battered armchair from outside a shop in Peckham. Some would’ve laughed at the state of it, but the history spoke louder than the flaws.

That chair still sits in my flat. Every borough in London has its own taste. Kensington loves velvet, unusual sofa with grand accent chairs. Hackney keeps it raw, with mismatched sofas. It’s the mix that makes it all work. Mass-produced pieces fade in months. Vintage finds last decades. They carry scratches like tattoos. Here’s the thing, I’ll pick a vintage sofa over new every time. An armchair should hug you back. Next time you’re thinking of flat-pack, stop and think of the markets.

Save a battered seat, and make it part of your story.