Tulip time (From Living Northeast)

Tulip time

1:17pm Monday 23rd November 2009 in

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AS you sit in the early evening rush hour traffic at the little Bondgate roundabout in Darlington, you can’t fail to notice it. A little white shop with charming objects on display.

What once was a double-glazing store has been transformed into the perfect stop-off for a spot of Christmas shopping.

Simply named Tulip, it is a home accessories shop owned by first-time entrepreneur Rachel Kaya, and it offers all those little knick-knacks that turn a house into a proper home. Step through the shop’s doors and you’re greeted by the sight of hand-made plaques, funky doorstops, colourful paintings, painted clothes pegs, plant pots, little mirrors and picture frames and even smaller pieces of furniture.

Tulip is an ambition fulfilled for Rachel, who’s 42 and lives in Eaglescliffe with her husband and two children.

Although she has a no real experience as a shopkeeper, she feels her keen interest in interior design, which was sparked when she was a young girl, has helped her discover a niche in the market.

“My background is actually in education,” she says.

“I took some time out to be with my children. They’ve just started school and I thought it was time to make my dream come true. I know it’s a difficult time with the recession going on, but I’m very optimistic.”

Rachel has chosen the location of her shop with great care and consideration. Opening in Bondgate, away from the Grange Road area, where similar shops already exist, not only means her rates are lower but there’s no competition, and being opposite a rather busy roundabout gives Tulip a lot of exposure. “I also love the building I’m in,” she says. “Because I sell vintage/shabby chic things, I think the look and the space of it really complements them.”

But it was been hard work getting the shop ready for its first customers. Rachel and her handy husband had a lot of DIY to do – clearing, re-arranging and re-decorating – before they achieved the homely look she had envisioned.

What was uppermost in Rachel’s mind when she opened her doors was that she wanted her stock to be affordable.

“My aim is to offer things that people can actually afford, although I do try to buy for quality rather than quantity. The cheapest item I have is £1.75, others are £150, so there is something for everyone.”

■ Tulip, 32 Bondgate, Darlington, DL3 7JJ. Tel: 01325-243131, 9.30am to 5pm from Mondays to Saturdays. Customers who make a purchase can enter a monthly prize draw where an item from Rachel’s stock is raffled.