Every scratch on the old dining table is a story from somebody’s childhood. Worn things have been loved.

Wear is a record. Every mark on a much-used thing came from somebody living near it, and the reason nothing in a showroom moves you is that nothing has happened to it yet. Objects take their meaning from use rather than from condition.

Before replacing something worn, ask whether the wear is exactly why it should stay. Ask an older relative where one particular mark came from, since those stories vanish quietly. And be easier on your own things when they start to show their years.