I grew up amongst furniture, and I’ve never left it. In the showrooms of Grosvenor, customers aren’t simply shopping for wood and fabric. Designers with clients in tow, and they all want character. A vintage sofa, carries the room. I sent a set of accent chairs to a Grosvenor Square apartment, and the scars became part of the charm. That’s the Mayfair way. People wander past the big chains, but they always come back.
Gloss wears off, whereas classic luxury sofas grow finer. This city speaks through its homes. Hampstead seeks calm, with deep seats. Hackney raw, with colourful sofas. That’s what keeps us alive. I’ve learnt over years, an armchair becomes memory. You don’t get that from a catalogue. I still touch the arms of the chairs, and the truth tells itself. Vintage has truth. Next time you flick through a catalogue, think again.
Bring home something with story, and let it settle into your life.