Millie Wright has always loved Oriental furniture and antiques. But she never dreamed that her passion and hobby would turn into a money-making venture that will see her open her first store today on Par-la-Ville.

"It is a dream come true," said Mrs. Wright, who will open the doors to Asian Pearl this morning. "I never thought I would be able to make a living from something I love so much."

And yesterday while she was readying the new showroom for the grand opening, she made a large sale to a new customer, a move which she says will bode well for her business.

Mrs. Wright started Asian Pearl in 2001 after furnishing her house with Chinese rosewood and antiques supplied by a friend who runs a manufacturing business in China.

As he left the Island after installing her furniture, he half joked she should set up a showroom on the Island and sell the goods he made half way around the world.

Friends and family were so impressed by the high quality of the furniture at her home, she decided to bring in a single container in to see how it went. She has never looked back.

Mrs. Wright set up a warehouse in Serpentine Road, and the orders grew so much she was brining in a container a month. Now she realises she needs a shop front from which to sell her furniture, and said that the Par-la-Ville site is the ideal space for her good.

"There is plenty of parking and while it is a little off the beaten track, there are a lot of people willing to come here and a lot of passing trade."

Mrs. Wright says the goods in her store vary in price from $50 jewellery boxes to $7,000 for huge wall cabinets in rosewood.

"The wood is particularly well suited to Bermuda's climate," she said. "And it is all solid and hand made. No two pieces are exactly alike, which is the beauty of wood. She stocks bed frames, side tables, coffee tables, chests, drawers and many other items as well as china and lamps.

"We also sell antiques, which come with a certificate of authenticity to say where they come from in China and how old they are," she added. "But I wanted to make sure my furniture was all affordable - there is no point selling something for $3,000 if it is just going to sit there when it would fly out the door at $1,500."

And Mrs Wright, who left a job at one of the Island's banks to set up her own business, said that she was doing so well that her husband, Stanley, was now going to join her and is leaving his job and will start in September.

"I am very excited about the store. We are going to be putting in new doors and some signage when it arrives, but we have already had a lot of interest in the furniture we have in. I am so pleased we can now open up closer to town to allow more people to see what we have in store - now they will be able to buy beautiful, well-made furniture at reasonable prices."