So a paint shop wouldn't be my first choice of retail therapy but needs must and the shameful state…read moreof the exterior paint on our garage drove me to organise a painter and to my horror I discovered that he won't be bringing the paint with him. So I was forced to enter the alien world of a paint shop as someone had told me I would get a much better price there than in one of the big DIY stores. Happily I was pleasantly surprised as Johnsons is bright and airy and that the nice man working there was able to interpret my vague request for outdoor paint and get me exactly what I needed. He knew what kind of paint I needed (water based masonry paint if you must know) and even how much I would need. He even offered to give me a refund on one of the tins if it turned out that I didn't need it. I had a little chortle at their very proudly displayed certificate to prove that in 2008 the shop was 'an accident free zone'. No sign of a certificate for 2009. Maybe they had a clumsy employee that year.....

Called to get paint mixed to match a colour I had seen in B&Q, for wooden doors. The guy at the…read moretill had a laugh at me going elsewhere to choose a colour, but in good nature. What he didnt know about paint was worth knowing. He took time and with what to use and I was able to get the gloss, undercoat, and few other bits at an amazing price. Was well pleased. Have been back since and got the same service again. Great place to go for professional advice and service.

Visited the Craft Room today after lunch in the courtyard. The shop is up external staircase &…read morethrough doorway entrance to room on the right. Not a lot of space but lots to see, touch and handle. From knitwear to scarves, from wonderful photographs to magical robot lights everything is handmade by local artists. We bought some baby knitwear for a newborn great nephew, lovely little booties, mittens and bonnet to match in eggshell blue. William was very friendly and helpful and we will certainly return.

Tiletec pulled me out a very scary DIY hole a few years ago. Him indoors had to go abroad for work…read moreand a few days later we got a leak in our bathroom. I was left to deal with the turmoil. I decided to redo the entire bathroom but I didn't even know where to start so I went to Tiletec and asked for advice. The woman who works there was fabulous, she gave me a print out of all the local tilers, painters and decorators. She chatted to me about colours, patterns and prices. I was in and out of that place about ten times. The lady gave me samples to take home so I could get a better understanding of what the tiles would look like. It took me weeks to finish the bathroom and I went against the opinions of others by picking white and green. It's all white now though because the green was tiring. I really recommend Tiletec for a personal, reliable service. They were so helpful and gave me many great tips, I was even able to bring my extra tiles back for a refund. They saved my bathroom and me from Do It Yourself hell!

I find this shop to be filled with cheap tat and dust gatherers…read more It is reasonably busy of a weekday and you can pick up some bargains within but really the things are very cheaply made and quite disposable. I only ever buy two things from this shop - scatter cushions for 2 for £5 and big plastic storage containers started from a few pounds up to about a tenner. The clothes are cheaper versions of high street fashion and older ladies jumpers and coats. They do have quite a nice range of clothing for children and babies at very low prices. The one thing I used to buy in here was canvases for my paintings (I'm a budding Rolf Harris don't ya know!) I'll not be buying them again - the quality is terrible, just the quality you would expect for prices starting at £1.50. A good place to pick up little practice canvasses or for children to get art and hobby supplies but don't expect any quality. A lot of stock but no real substance. Not for me.

The Yankee Store is a very welcome addition to Ards Shopping Centre, it makes the whole place look…read moreand smell better. Not that it smelled funny in the first place, I would never suggest that. Walking past you are lured in by the luscious scents and this is just me imagine what it would do to someone who actually like candles. The shop itself is stocked to the brim with Yankee Candles in different designs and flavours. After walking in I took a note to self, come here at Christmas I could get half of my presents in one shop. Yankee Store does not just stock candles it stocks home ware items that are of the Cath Kidson genre. You could imagine seeing the items from the Yankee store displayed in Ideal home magazine. Very crisp and clean, items that will add to the theme of your house. It is absolutely perfect place to shop, kind and helpful staff that will even wrap your purchase if you as nicely. This is worthy of every one of its 5 stars, classy and elegant!

As a recent addition to Ards Shopping Centre, the Yankee Candle Store is a pleasure to both the…read moreeyes and nose. With its arrangements of flowers scattered throughout the store, this is literally a breath of fresh air in the commercialised shopping centre. Upon entering I am instantly thrilled to find that the usual dull metal shopping baskets have been replaced with red gingham wicker baskets- which instantly makes my shopping experience much more enjoyable (largely because I feel like Little Red Riding Hood). In this particular store, the staff members are friendly (without crossing over that fatal line of becoming pestering) and I feel free to shop in peace and at my own pace. As well as probably stocking every possible scent imaginable, the Yankee Candle Store also offers a fantastic range of home decorations, with everything from ornaments to sentimental signs. Although this branch is quite small in comparison to others, the space is used well- creating an almost homely atmosphere.

I'm not used to decorating homes and recently I have undertaken some redesign and decor of our…read morespare bedroom. I called in here to price curtains and bed linen as they have been about for absolutely ages and have a decent reputation. I wasn't that impressed. The stuff, I felt, was out dated and expensive. The staff weren't very helpful even though I very obviously needed help with measurements, colour schemes and the like. I personally prefer Dunelm Mill but I was in the centre of town and couldn't have been bothered traveling about the place. I don't think I will go in again for anything other than a definite item as I just felt a little overwhelmed at all the stuff but the lack of help.

I'm not really big into curtain / fabric / bed linen shops, since I don't have a requirement to buy…read moreany of these types of goods. However, when my parents were away on holiday last year, I decided I would venture in and purchase a duvet cover set for myself, having been in dire need of one for quite some time. Undoubtedly one of the most important days in a girl's life... I was fortunate enough to be in the shop during sale time, and was even more fortunate to find a blue and white barcode striped duvet cover for half price...£10 ("how do you do it?" is a frequent question asked by my mum). That usual jubilation that suddenly overcomes me the moment I find a bargain eluded me for once. I *had* to phone my mum and dad to ensure that my find was genuine and the bargain was good enough to warrant a purchase. A five minute phonecall later, and we established that this was the case. Phew. A year later, and my blue and white striped duvet cover is still perfectly intact, currently taking pride of place on my bed. Having had such a wonderful experience, when I went back this year to a newly refurbished Spinning Wheel, I was slightly disheartened to find no duvet covers on the bottom floor, despite the fact that this was indicated on the wall. Being in a hurry, I had to go, but I will definitely pop back in for a proper look very soon. And to get lost among all those curtains. Looks like such fun...

Argh, this review has probably been the most difficult one for me so far, and I haven't even begun!…read moreThere are really three reasons behind this... 1) When I looked at my receipt, the name of the shop was written as "Grey Goose Interiors et Salon de Tea" (which, of course, isn't proper French), but the the actual name of the shop uses the French version of tea, which looks like the with an accent over the e. And this is where my problem lay. I went to select a symbol for the e, and ended up choosing the wrong one. I then had to open up Word again, and select another e with the accent facing the other direction. Stress. And all because it's a French tea room. 2) When I popped into the Grey Goose, I was totally unaware that it was also a tea room. Thankfully, I was dressed appropriately enough, and despite my out-of-place look and accent (one of the customers had the obligatory posh North Down accent to a tea, er, I mean tee), I managed to inconspicuously have a look round. To be fair there wasn't a huge amount to look at...a few pretty accessories, even more pretty cards, and cute little gifts. I selected a card, and then realised a third dilemma... 3) There was another section adjoining the tea room, which I dandered into, thinking I could pay there. Unfortunately not. I was redirected back into the Grey Goose, and a girl who was working in the tea room came and served me. Apparently the shop next door is The Lightning Tree, which stocks some unique clothing. I didn't really look though, if I'm honest. So, apart from the name issue, the la-de-da type nature of the Parisian tearoom and the confusion of essentially three shops in the one building, it wasn't all that bad...

Stumbled on this place for the first time the other day and really enjoyed it. It is a blend of a…read moreboutique and coffee shop with a great selection of sandwiches, soups and cakes. The food and the staff alike are top notch and it provides a friendly, warm and very comfortable environment to have breakfast, brunch or lunch. The shop side of the business is very nice as well with home furnishing and ornaments on display. They are all very nice but I thought perhaps mainly of a similar aesthetic with you tend to get with smaller shops, so you'll probably either like nearly everything in this respect or next to nothing. The one thing that let it down just a little for me was the coffee. I had a cappuccino and couldn't really taste the coffee, it was frothy milk with a chocolate taste from the sprinkles. So it wasn't unpleasant, just not what I like, it would remind me of Starbucks offerings. If the coffee had hit the mark it could probably hit 5*s from be in the future.