This isn't you're average charity shop, the idea behind Vintage Glow is to regenerate old and used…read morefurniture or up style it in girly terms. They are really on point with this idea as this seems to be a real trend gripping Belfast. I popped in on Monday and some of the items they had on offer you would expect to see in High Street shop windows, the beauty of this place is that all the furniture is reasonably priced and not only that but it will be a one off. Glow isn't just a great shop but it's also a great cause - the idea behind GLOW is that it provides women from both communities the opportunity to develop confidence and self-belief through creation and craft. The beauty of this place is that you can either purchase items that are donated to the GLOW team or you can bring in your own tattered furniture for a makeover. I would definitely pop in for a look next time you're on the Lisburn Road - you could pick up a bargain and help a good cause.

When you are bored of flat pack and the idea of IKEA brings you out in a sweat, get yourself down…read moreto Creations. Looking for a chest of drawers with a friend I was dragged in on a Saturday afternoon (not my favourite way to spend the weekend), but I must honestly admit to being surprised. The place is enormous, very easy to get lost in, and while I wasn't the one buying they had so much furniture to suit most tastes and wallets. What I was most impressed by was their selection of accessories, and while before I didn't think I'd need a giant Buddha head I my living room, I'm totally considering one now.

Definitely one of the superior interior shops in Belfast. It's in a bit of a strange location so…read morethat's why I'm sure more people don't know about it. The place is absolutely huge inside with room after (fake) room of lovely furniture and other householdy stuff. The furniture seems to be off good quality and the staff are always helpful to advise on sizes and other price options as well which is nice. I bought a bed in here not so long ago and it was a pretty effortless exercise unlike my experience at IKEA around the same time where there was a massive screw-up with the delivery of a sofa. That's a rant for another day though. I really am always impressed when I visit here, the selection is second to none and the price range is right across the spectrum so you should always find something to fit the budget. Pros: Huge selection, well laid out. Cons: There's a lot to get through.

This place looks like it's been caught in a time warp, its amazing. Walking through its doors is…read morelike travelling back through time. I'm not sure why anyone would like to travel back in time to a hardware shop but there ya go. It stocks all the dedicated D.I.Yer would need to help them in their quest to ruin their living room by trying to mount their own shelves or flat screen tv. The staff know everything their is to know about the contents of the shop and will help you no end, if it's required.

This is a great little pokey shop on the Lisburn road. With so many new outlets on the Lisburn road…read morecatering for everything from Estate Agents to interior design, its nice to see an old well maintained premises. But lets be honest, for most of us hardware is hardware and I for one like the thought that I can buy my garden spade form a place my grandfather bought his garden spade from. The guys that work look like they have fun, they stock just about anything that a DIY quiz would mention but don't plan any of your weekly hammer purchasing trips on a Wednesday. As they will be having a wee afternoon off!!! Visiting Mr Guinness i gather

Located opposite Urban Outfitters…read more Good place for gifts. Have quite a few local items. Expect to pay on certain items more than standard retail due to the handmade aspect. Lots of wee cute toys etc for kids. Also lots of house soft furnishings. It's the sort of place you would like to buy lots of stuff you don't need but it looks nice. Lol Lots of chalk paint colours can be bought in here. The shop is packed with gifts etc. You have to hoke a bit as its jammed packed with things laid out on wooden dressers and tables etc. It's a bit kitch compared to just browsing the rails. Shop has a sort of Cath Kidston feel about it.

I love, love love this place. Maybe I was a tiler in a former life or something, but I just love…read morelooking at the designer patterns and tiles and I really appreciate that they have such a wide range of colours and designs to choose from. On the recent epic journey to decorate my Mother in Laws new house, we came here to look at wall tiles for her kitchen. What a choice! And they were all gorgeous and excellent quality. And what I think I loved the most was that they specialize in making tiles and selling paint in the National Trust Colours, which are so sophisticated and gorgeous that I wanted to order them all. Think I might redecorate my own house soon actually...

There always seems to be a prospective customer in this shop being advised and guided through the…read moreextensive stock of chandeliers, wall lamps, table lamps and standard lamps. From outside looking in the profusion of glass, gilt, burnished metal, feathers and twinkling crystal on display in this Aladdin's Cave of shiny wares, along with various other interiors accessories of pictures frames, ornaments and mirrors looks enticing. Closer examination shows that although the stock is brand new, House of Lights caters for very traditional tastes. There are also lampshades for sale in various colours and you can find lightbulbs of every type in here which is useful if you're flummoxed as to where to find an unusual bulb for a novel lamp from a certain Swedish furniture store. I had to exchange said light bulb three times before locating the right one but in they were most accommodating about my errors so thanks to the convenience of House of Lights and the helpful staff I got there in the end.

Its rare to find quality light fittings, certainly in the big chains where your lucky to get a…read morecouple of years use before they break, the lights inside are stylish and top quality, one of my most unusual projects I bought to restore was a 7ft tall fiberglass statue of liberty "impulse buy" it had a cheap orange flashing light on it that looked like it came off a tractor, I got a glass flame off the internet but was stuck for what type of bulb to fit, they suggested a flicker bulb which fits a normal bayonet fitting, it worked perfectly and only used a few watts electric. Great for getting inspiration on projects like desk and table lamps too.

Absolutely unyielding return policy and very unfriendly manageress at Dunelm-Boucher Rd…read more My wife measured incorrectly for a Roman blind (we needed three but just bought one to see if it fit OK, it didn't) the length of the blind was 2" shorter than the specs on the blinds box and my wife's measuring error made it worse. Time went by as it does in our busy lifestyles, out of the return window. Tried to return for credit note to buy three of the correct size (£65.00 each). Very unfriendly manageress right out refused. I had £300 in my pocket that day to buy the three blinds and purchase a couple of other things for around the house from Dunelm......nope, not to be. I took my £300 and unreturnable blind (will end up using on another window) to Harry Corry's........and spent every penny there!

Great place for homewares. There is everything you need from bedding, curtains, fabric, cushions,…read morethrows, kitchen ware, bathroom, lights, lamps, picture frames and other ornaments. Everything is fairly well laid out over two floors. Everything is so much cheaper than other soft furnishing stores. There is a cafe on the first floor, customer lift is available. Even if you don't need anything you will be lured into buying something! Guy on checkout was nice & friendly

Went to this shop 3 times on 2/06/22, each time lights were on in both shops but doors were locked…read more Despite standing knocking on the doors we could not get an answer.

Shankill Furnishings is another of the businesses in this area to have benefited from a recent…read moreregenerative scheme to improve and update the shopfronts along the road. The sign has exactly the same design and lettering as Shankill Bedrooms a few doors down but as I was told by the lady in the shop, the two shops are entirely separate. It's another small local furniture outlet which is pretty squeezed for space. There is a selection of dining and living room furniture including some of the imported Mexican pine variety but basically the stock does not differ much from other outlets of a similar size.

I ordered 2 beds, both arrived well on time, delivered and installed as promised by two very nice…read morechaps. Highly recommend.

What can I say? This is a great spot for getting your furniture and household items. They supply…read moreeverything - sofas, suites, wardrobes, tables, mirrors, mats, etc., and have a separate shop just a few doors away which is a bedroom showroom, and is used exclusively for beds. They always have special offers, whether its discounts on furniture or free fitting or free delivery... there's always something. As an independent retailer it's stood the test of time. People who like to spend big money on furniture tend to go to Boucher Road. People who want quality furniture that's good value go to this place. Yes, you may find the odd bargain on a coffee table in Ikea, but there are several reasons I prefer Direct Furniture to Ikea: a) Ikea is a very inhospitable place, and you seem to have to walk through the entire place via some type of ingenious labyrinth one-way system to get out (I went in one Saturday and couldn't find my way out til Monday, although I was relieved to get out without being devoured by a minotaur) b) Ikea does some very annoying things, like have prices on their wardrobes that say something like 'final' price or 'total' price. After this, I discover that this doesn't include the handles or, in some cases, the pole for hanging things on. Perhaps my definition of final price differs from theirs, but my wardrobe is definitely neither final or total if I can't open it because it has no handles. Maybe they're like the doors in that film "What Lies Beneath", where you just have to reach towards the doors and they open... c) you get personal service in Direct Furniture. You go to Ikea and it's different people working all the time, relying on a handbook of policies to deal with returns, discounts, etc. In direct furniture, it's the same people all the time. Say you go in one day, having been in the previous week. The item you wanted is out of stock and, not being in the furniture business or having any descriptive powers to speak of, you can't accurately describe it. "I was talking to that sales person there about it" will result in the mystery being solved in no time. It's the same 5 or 6 staff all the time, and they'll remember you. Of course, once you enter the premises you implicitly agree to forfeit your name - people who only go in once in a while will be reborn, and given new names like "you're the fella that was in the other day looking the pine wardrobe". Customers always appreciate when someone remembers them, for whatever reason! Finally, if you're going to buy a wardrobe and decide that one could go in the other room as well (or you have a wife who, inexplicably, seems to believe that a nuclear holocaust is imminent, and that it's best to stockpile as many clothes as possible on a weekly basis, lest all clothes shops within a 400 mile radius be nuked in the very near future) bring your wallet with you and you might get a deal on the two of them for cash. Maybe... Good value, quality products, and excellent personal service make this the place for me every time. Sure, if i see a coffee table in Ikea for £7 (if that really is the 'final' price) and the advertisement comes with an instore map of where in the military compound I can get said coffee table, I'll take a run in, but apart from that it's Direct Furniture every time.

Homebase is an excellent store for DIY, decorating, lighting, home, gardening, bathroom/kitchen…read morefurniture and accessories. I'm definitely not a DIY, gardening or domestic type person - in fact I positively hate such things! That as it may be, I actually enjoy a (rare) visit to Homebase. I love that this particular store is large, but not huge enough to be bewildering, as some massive DIY Stores are. Staff are very helpful. On a recent trip to pick up padlocks and outdoor security light bulbs I located staff immediately and they assisted me in finding the items I needed. Often I just pop in and out of Homebase quickly to grab what I need. Sometimes however, I do like to have a browse amongst the flowers, plants and garden furniture. This store is always my first choice for all my DIY needs.

There collection of neon paint and cheap wood is what I visit for. This one is a bit isolated, but…read moregreat parking and close to other shops to finish off your shopping after grabbing your neon paints and hula hoops. They have a little toy section to keep kids entertained. The pricing is good, nothing is too expensive and things are of a good quality. If you're looking paints wood, door knobs or plants go here.