A WOMAN who left a career in human resources to launch her own business said she has filled a gap in the contemporary furniture market.

Roz Henderson, of Darlington, started the online Sedini company after spending months searching for fashionable stools to add the finishing touches to her own kitchen.

"I knew what I wanted and they simply weren't out there.

"I also realised there must be other people in the same boat as myself and that's when I decided to source the product and open a company to bridge the gap," she said.

The business opportunity arose at a time when Ms Henderson was already rethinking her career, having spent 12 years as a human resources manager.

She began to import stools and pedestal tables from Italy and, tapping into the present trend for buying online, launched the Sedini website.

The business received support from Business Link and Darlington Business Venture, and has continued to thrive since its launch last summer.

"Statistics show that more and more people are buying online because they can get a wider choice of products that they wouldn't necessarily find in their local high street. This was a growth that Sedini wanted to tap into," said Ms Henderson.