A Norwegian-made child's high chair that at first glance could be mistaken for one half of a step-ladder, is proving to be one of the most popular items stocked at Space, a Sligo shop specialising in contemporary furniture.

Shop owners Grβinne Dunne and Brian Raftery are both originally from the north west and saw an obvious gap in the market before opening the shop in premises overlooking the Garavogue River on Rockwood Parade.

According to Grβinne, they were motivated by an interest in contemporary design and a realisation that people like themselves usually had to travel to Dublin to find the kind of furniture they were looking for.

She stresses that contemporary doesn't necessarily mean modern. "It is more timeless - if something is well designed, it will stand the test of time," she says.

Given that Sligo has seen a mushrooming of newly-built apartments throughout the town centre and particularly along the riverside, the shop also stocks "space-saving" furniture such as an adjustable table that can serve as both a coffee table and a dinner table.

While there is no doubt that the shop will appeal to fashion-conscious people who like a label on their furniture, Grβinne says customers are more likely to have an interest in design rather than very large bank accounts. She argues that buying quality furniture is an investment and money is saved in the long term.

"We find that the people who buy from us are people like ourselves who like the stuff and are prepared to save for a particular piece. The market is definitely there, though it is not just in Sligo town but in the north west region.

"Before, people would have had to travel to Dublin and they are saying that it is great to be able to buy locally. Now they can come in and look around and take their time before deciding "if you go to Dublin, you generally have to make a decision on the spot."

The shop also offers an interior design service to businesses such as hotels and cafΘs.

Grainne says that emphasis is placed on quality. Their sofas and armchairs are made by Newry-based company Orior and she visited the factory to see the furniture being made. "With a sofa you can never be sure what is underneath, but that is not the case with these." On solid beech frames, they can be handmade to order from a selection of fabrics and finishes.

Other furniture stocked include dinner tables and chairs by Italian manufacturer Porada, and a "funky yet practical" range from Innovation of Denmark which includes bean bags that don't lose their shape and sell for between £85 and £105 (€108 to €133).

Along the walls are accessories such as brightly coloured plastic brooms and stainless steel cocktail shakers and juicers from designers such as Philippe Starck and Jasper Morrison.

To prove Grβinne's point about good design being timeless, there's also an adjustable chrome and glass table, originally intended as a bedside table and designed by Irishwoman Eileen Gray in the 1920s, which sells for £395 (€502).

As the mother of two young children, she is particularly enthusiastic about the Norwegian high chair. Called the Tripp Trapp chair, it is made by Norwegian manufacturers Stokke which describes it as "the chair that grows with your child". Both the seat and footrest are adjustable, allowing the child to sit up at the family table from the age of six months, and it can be used up to adulthood. Grβinne swears that children love it, and most parents would probably be willing to spend £140 (€178) on the chair and £30 (€38) on the harness if they thought it would persuade a toddler to sit for longer than two minutes.