The staff is too lazy to get up off their chair and help. Two people at the counter pointing a…read morefinger "in the other room." No help & their information was incorrect. I get this is a store full of imported low cost junk, but do the staff have to act that way? Sigh.

I adore China Fair their prices are very high, and they don't have the breath of stock they once…read morehad but still a store I love.

I had a great experience at my glass workshop here! It was very fun and calming experience. The…read moreclass fits six people and it starts with an overview of glass cutting techniques. Then you get to make a creative piece of your own. I made a coaster with a flower design. It didn't come out perfect but I love it anyway!

THE CUTEST LITTLE STORE! You simply must visit. Unique, quirky, colorful homeware, most of it…read morehandmade. Lots of glassware, dishes, and other small home goods. Generally things are on the pricier side but that makes sense for handmade, unique items. A great place to shop for presents! They also have classes where you can make your own coaster or small plate from glass, which I can't comment on since I haven't taken one, but hopefully I will in the future!

Hosea's painter team did nothing short of a miracle job. Really…read more I wholeheartedly recommend you go with them. You can't go wrong. I appreciated his teams' skills and most importantly his ethics, honesty and integrity. I recruited Hosea and his team for a risky paint job due to the unusual designer type of paint we were going to use. Also, I had a very tight deadline at risk of not being able to move in. Every painters told me they needed at least 2 weeks or more to finish it, even with a 3-person teams. This even included a large national paint companies (those who specialized on commercial or corporate buildings). Hosea's team were able to finish it in just about a week or slightly more, allowing me to move in right in time. I used a designer paint complex to handle and prone to mistake from inexperienced painters with this particular paint. As expected, they made a mistake, but owned it without creating difficulties. The end result ended up very fan-tas-tic, above and beyond expectations. And the pricing (certainly not cheap) was rightly fair and quite reasonable I think. I am so glad I selected Hosea for this impossible mission job. It was a total success. Attached are photos before/after the job. Paint was from Farrow & Ball with the exception of the windows trim (Sherwin Williams).

I worked with Laura at Charlestown Home Improvement on two interior design projects and was…read morethrilled with both experiences. In one, she created a beautiful, thoughtful design starting with a completely empty space; in the other, she helped refine and enhance the design of my home using some existing furniture and recommending new pieces where needed. Laura listens, asks the right questions, and offers creative options without being pushy. Both times, she created spaces that I am truly proud to call home. Highly recommend!

I highly recommend Local Root for knife sharpening. I have been using LR for years and always the…read moreresults are amazing (and extremely prompt in timing, etc.). Pricing is fair and reasonable. LR's set up for appointments, drop off and pick up (and paying) likewise is incredibly user friendly and easy (trust me the easy statement is very important for me given the difficulty some places are with using their web sites, etc.). My knives have lasted years and will last longer. Again, I would highly recommend Local Root for your knife care.

Awesome service and easy to schedule! My knives have a new life now after being neglected for…read more10+years.

Angela and Eddie came to my home to see if some of my upper cabinets could be repaired. That was…read morenot an option so we chose to replace our upper cabinets. The Creative Design showroom is a great place to see your options. Sarah was our designer and was able to provide a rendition of what new black uppers would look like with our existing cherry lower cabinets. Angela coordinated everything seamlessly and always responded to any questions or requests. Eddie was in charge of installation and was great. I have already recommended Creative Design to our neighbor who loved how our kitchen came out. The whole team was a pleasure to work with.

Enza was wonderful. She took the time to explain all the different choices and options. They…read moredelivered my pantry cabinets exactly on time. I am thrilled with both the service and quality of the products purchased. I plan on buying all the products there on the next portion of my renovation.

I came in here to see what the big fuss is about. The items are great quality and the prices…read moreweren't that bad. There were decent sale items as well. I don't like the limited color selection (blue was my choice ) and the service was great.

Love Le Creuset and had some items shipped. 2 arrived broken and they took care of the…read morereplacements right away. GREAT customer service and it was a joy shopping there.

Fussy Gussy is so freakin' awesome! I bought a few potholders from her at the bazaar in the…read morebasement of the Unitarian church up in Harvard Sq. this past Xmas season... they were so adorable and amazingly well put-together, I couldn't resist. I was supposed to be out shopping for family and friends, but these were just for me. Everything is handcrafted and made with love. Definitely check out her wares online. FUSSY GUSSY RAWKS.

Fussy Gussy has been around for a year. She haunts craft bazaar's (only the best of the best)…read moreBuckaroo's Mercantile and Magpie. Soft sewn satchels, potholders, placemats, pillows, all of the things you realize you have to have! upon first sight... why? because they will make your life better. The schtick of F.G. is fabric fabric fabric (paired with the gifted designer's meticulous and tasteful knack/crusade for perfection) They are more than kitsch they are revved up hummina hermana- muy caliente- retro- new wave -goodness...think the Gabor sisters before Hollywood squares, Elizabeth Taylor as Cleopatra with bustin' out cleavage... or maybe more like Charro if she weren't annoying and lived in silent movies. This upstart is moving along and I am thankful to be around for the beginnings. fussygussy.etsy.com

My go-to shop for quick, yet thoughtful gifts. Conveniently located in Davis square, and cleverly…read morenamed Davis squared, this shop has a great selection for everyone. Gifts that are specific to Somerville/locals, things for the basic b*tches (using term in an endearing way, we all love a pumpkin spiced latte), niknaks for those with specific interests, fun ingredients & essentials for cocktail-making, artsy puzzles, unique home goods, toys -- this place has it all, and with personality. +The shop always has cool music playing and the owner is chill. Pricing ranges, so there are budget friendly finds. And they always wrap the gifts for me, which I appreciate.

I love walking around a neighborhood and coming across stores like these. This store has fun gift…read moreideas, small home items, candles, books, art made by local artists, birthday cards, truly a little bit of everything. Even just walking around to browse everything will bring you joy -- much like stopping to read the greeting cards they sell. :)

The owner is very responsive. The knives are beautiful and they feel really good when I am using…read morethem. I am curating my knife collection one knife at a time. So far I have a chef's knife, a paring knife, a boning knife and I have an order in for a nakiri because I am tired of using my pastry bench knife to scoop up veggies after chopping them. You have to be patient because he makes them one at a time and you may not get your knife for a month or so. Worth the wait.

Fabulous sharpening and shop. Going to create my first custom knife here and I'm sure it won't be…read moremy last !

The main reason why I use Tags is their location in Porter Square. I find that the staff are…read morefriendly and try to be helpful. However, the pricing is extremely high compared to some other big box stores or ACE hardware locations outside of the city. I highly recommend using their order online for in store pickup for the best pricing since the store will follow the online pricing vs the shelf sticker price. Online orders come with a paper bag that has a handle which makes it nice and easy to carry out. There are two floors to the store, with the majority of home improvement things being on the lower level.

They're friendly but not helpful--in fact, "incompetent" is the word I'd use. Here's what happened…read moreon my last two visits to Tags: I brought in a screen door to be rescreened. It took two weeks, and the screen fell off the moment I reinstalled it. I also had a key copied. It didn't work. I ended up taking both the door and key to Inman Hardware. They fixed the screen and made a key that actually worked. Buy stuff at Tags if you want, but don't count on them for even basic jobs.