I’ve been in the trade man and boy for arm chairs for kitchen decades. In the heart of London, buying is about more than comfort. Old families from Belgravia and Kensington, and they’re looking for furniture that will outlast them. A battered old wingback, carries the room. One battered club chair was claimed for a Notting Hill film set, and he told me years later it was still going strong. That’s the point with retro. They flick through glossy catalogues, but at the end they admit.
Cheap wood snaps, whereas old chairs carry life. This city speaks through its homes. St John’s Wood desires quiet luxury, with mahogany accent pieces. Shoreditch is playful, with retro mismatches. That’s what keeps us alive. I’ll tell you something else, a sofa becomes family. Mass production never delivers it. I still touch the arms of the chairs, and I know straight away. Vintage has truth. Next time you flick through a catalogue, think again.
Take on a classic wingback, and see how it shapes your home seating solutions.
