Del Smith is hoping Italian style will help him make a splash in the retail world.

His new bathroom shop in North Road, Brighton, sells a range of stylish accessories from Italian designers Agapae, Antonio Lupi and Falper.

The showroom, 23 Degrees, is one of only a handful in the UK which stock these designers' work and some of the items in Del's shop are exclusive to him. One is a groovy radiator provocatively shaped liked a woman.

It won't all break the bank - you can pick some bits up for £50 - but most of the stuff on display is aimed at financially unconstrained style worshippers.

An Agapae bath on display in the window costs £5,000.

To get a made-to-order bathroom designed and installed could set you back £40,000.

With the retail sector and the housing market in the doldrums it might seem a brave time to open a shop, let alone one selling luxury household items.

But Del, 34, who has been involved in sales for almost 20 years, reckons the quality of the products will increase, not limit, his chances of success. He said: "You have to remember that we are at the top end of the market so our customers are probably less affected. But it is a consideration.

"Funnily enough, most of the interest so far has come from outside Brighton. Interior designers, architects, people who already know the value of the products.

"In Brighton we have had a lot of people looking in the window but not a lot of people parting with their cash yet."

Del is in the process of setting up a web site - www.twentythreedegrees.co.uk - which will put him in a select band of small retailers in Brighton and Hove with an online presence.

He can be contacted on 01273 623523.

Thursday, September 29, 2005