INTERNATIONAL designer Nick Munro says that Chester is the perfect place to trade.

Nick, who lives with his wife Ali and two sons in Hoole, designs products such as coffee pots, glassware and furniture for John Lewis, Bloomingdale’s, Fired Earth, P&O Cruises and Le Cafetiere.

He has also designed a range of ceramics for Divertimenti as part of a joint venture with Ali.

The couple transformed their Commonhall Street studio into a shop just before Christmas.

Asked about the risks of opening a shop in a recession, Nick said: “Yes, but all that means is that not many other people are doing it – so if you do, you can move forward. I think it is a great time to do different things – as long as you get it set up correctly and you have the resources to do it. It stands out and people respect it.

“Fortune favours the brave – that’s what it is really about. It’s about having the confidence to go for it – and if things don’t work out, at least you’ll have learned something in the process.”

Nick’s bespoke designs have been flying through the doors since the shop opened, something that he puts down to quality.

“We are in a period when people look for reasons to be cheerful and you can come here and whether you spend £2 or £2,000, you go home with something beautiful.

“I think the thing is that the dash for cheap isn’t something we want to go on. In the end, there is always a market for quality.”

Textile designer Ali, who Nick acknowledges has to “rein him in” at times, is a little more cautious.

She admits: “It will take people a while to realise that we are here. I know from experience that it takes a good 12 months, sometimes up to two years, for a shop to become really established, so we have a fair idea of what to expect.”

Nick added: “The initial support we have had from people in Chester has been phenomenal.

“The council has been very good as well because they are looking at cobbling and paving this area at the same time as Bridge Street and Watergate Street.

“The Chester Festivals have been pretty vocal in a very positive way, too.

“There are a lot of very stylish and artistically astute people around here who give me quite a lot of inspiration and they really seem to understand the concept of what it is that I am doing.”

The shop is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 10am-5pm.