A 'TIMELESS' furniture shop is opening in the town centre.

Dear Grace has been running on a smaller scale from Blake End Craft Centre, but is expanding to a new building at Red Lion Yard in Colchester.

Victoria Johnson, one of the shop owners, said they wanted to help rejuvenate that part of town.

She said: "I have been doing this kind of job for 24 years, but this is a new name.

"It’s home interior and gifts. I think what’s so unique is the range we carry, we source from a lot of different companies and it’s all off trend.

"There are lots of things which are classic in their style, they are timeless.

"We try to cater for everybody in terms of price range, we believe you should never make yourself out of reach."

She started her career at the old Co-op building in St Nicholas Street, which is now a derelict building.

She wanted to move the business there to liven it up.

She said: "There’s so much development going on there now, that area of the town was really run down.

"We liked the size of the shop and it really suited us, there’s also lovely people around there."

Mayor of Colchester, Peter Chillingworth, officially opened the store.