Not moving the furniture

Trendy residents of SE1 will be excited to find that Furniture Union is no longer planning to move from its space on Hopton Street near Tate Modern. In fact, it's getting a facelift.

Furniture Union, owned by Mandy Taylor-Jones, has been in the SE1 area for nearly five years. The store specializes in contemporary designer furniture at affordable prices. However, due to recently rising rent costs, Jones considered moving the gallery to a more cost effective location.

Now that rents have stabilised, Jones is relaunching the store with a new manager, Jane Rawlings, who has studied art and history in Europe. Rawlings plans to change the focus of the outlet to reflect a retail emphasis. The store has new later opening times and will be receiving new ranges and a new catalogue. Another feature of the re-launch will be lower prices on many furiture items.

"People who live in this area are design aware," says Jones. "They love central London, they love design and they want to reflect this in their lifestyles."

Jones displays chairs in Tate Modern and also furnishes the National Film Theatre Cafe and provides its surrounding outdoor benches. However, she says she wants to provide furniture that is not only genuinely stylish but also affordable. She has items ranging from vase shaped coffee tables (£35) to a unique chaise longue (£1,100). She also offers items from famous contemporary designers such as Phillip Stark.

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