There were few things I found so unfriendly in childhood as a plastic-covered sofa. At Usher’s house, the plastic isn’t keeping you at arm’s length—actually, it’s showing off. It dominates the room, flanked by artwork from Damien Hirst, a Campana Brothers coffee table, and a portrait of Usher’s childhood nanny. The plastic-covered sofa has a very specific connotation for many people growing up in the ’60s and ’70s. The plastic coating was an argument for preservation: You worked hard for the things you had, and you protected them accordingly.