I've been to a lot of home and living shops in my time, and this one is a stand out. Why? Because…read moreit's interior is unlike all the others; it's laid out just like a house...well a very strange house at that. I mean, who has a bed in the middle of their lounge room? Anyway, oddly positioned bed aside, the place itself is beautifully fitted out with a simple beige colour scheme. There's an emphasis on furniture; wooden stools, wicker chairs, wooden benches and drawers as well as the usual suspects; candles, cushions, lamps, cutlery and ceramic crockery. Just be prepared to part with a fair bit of dosh - prices are a little on the high side.

I find Paddington to be a bit like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates when it comes to shops; you…read morenever know what you're going to get. Some places are full of gorgeous things that don't make my eyes widen at the extraordinary prices, while others are also full of gorgeous things, but with terrifying price tags. Both of these options are scattered throughout the suburb, so when you walk into a little boutique, it's always a bit of a gamble. Looking at Villa & Home from the outside it seems a fairly safe bet that this place falls into the latter category. It has to be the smallest homewares store I've ever seen. At first I thought it was quite narrow, but that it extended a fair way into the building. It turned out there's a mirror on the back wall, so the shop is not as big as I was first optically tricked into believing - an ominous sign that it was going to be pretty pricey. My theory was proven correct; they had umbrellas in there for over $200. Obviously what they sell is high quality, designer stuff, but it didn't look too exciting to me. And in stereotypical hoity-toity fashion, the majority of their products were beige or cream coloured. If you're willing to spend hundreds of dollars to look stylish as you hurry about in the rain, go for it.

Walking into St. Barts is like walking into a beachside villa in the south of France. It's more of…read morea lifestyle store than an interior design shop, with racks of women's clothing as well as gifts and home wares. The shop itself is gorgeous, with young and beautiful staff to match. There's a mixture of things to browse from armchairs, to jeweled sandals, to fabrics, to ornaments and statement pieces for the home. Given that it's located on ritzy James Street, I assumed that the prices would be higher, but they're actually quite reasonable. I would very happily add many a St Barts piece to my home and will be back soon to see what else they have to offer. The shop is brand new and has yet to build a hype surrounding its existence. From what I saw in store, it will only be a matter of time before St Barts has a steady following.

Ooo! This place is new. I get very excited when a new shop opens in one of the shopping precincts I…read morefrequent. A new shop always seems so promising and adds a nice freshness to shopping areas that you already know inside out. I actually just came across St Barts on the weekend when I was on my way to Harveys and couldn't resist a peek. St Barts sells clothes, accessories, and homewares and their style seems quite eclectic. They had some lovely cushions and cute accessories, and I got the impression that they're still in the process of fully stocking their shop so I'll look forward to poking my nose back in there in a few weeks to see what it's like when they get fully into the swing of things. The prices are a little bit lower than I would have expected based on St Barts's location and exterior so that was a nice surprise. I exchanged a quick hello with the sales assistant and then she left me to browse which I always appreciate, especially in areas like James street where a lot of the stores seem to employ hoverers. It is interesting to see a few fresh storefronts on James street and this is one of them. St Barts is only young yet, and I'm excited to see what it'll grow into!

Brisbane Made might not be obvious as you drive up Latrobe Terrace towards the Paddington…read moreWoolworths, but for anyone interested in locally-made furniture, leather goods, ceramics and a whole lot more, a stop to this new to town shop is a must. Featuring the works of furniture designer James Talty, leather craftsman Raffael Lohman, soy candles from Citizens of the World - a visit to Brisbane Made is going to either ignite a whole lot of inspiration for your own home OR leave your bank balance a little lighter. And on price: yes, they're a little higher than your average chain furniture store. But let's put it in into perspective. The clay bowels made locally, for example. The ceramic artist digs the clay from his own property near Samford. He then turns each bowl individually. Each one is different in an ever so slight manner. They're hand glazed. They're truly one of a kind. I think you get my point. In any case, you'll probably stroll out of here with a big grin on your face. Stores like Brisbane Made are a sign of Brisbane's own evolution and illustrates the abundance of creativity and ingenuity here in our own backyard.

Brisbane Wholesale City is a Chinese company who have taken over the Old Myer Building in…read moreCoorparoo. The entirety of the building has been filled with wholesale furniture. If you're looking for some new furniture but you're on a budget, you should drop by here. They've got an incredible range of furniture. There's minimalist, low set furniture, classical lounge suits, over the top, orange and white round leather beds and such. Then there's the indoor and outdoor settings and kids playsets. If you've ever wanted one of those reclining sofas (like Kate Winslet laid on when Leo drew her in Titanic, ahem) you can find them here. The cane furniture pieces are unusual, and really quite unique. Basically, most people would be able to find something to their liking here. Some items are only sold as sets, others are available individually (you would have to enquire about a specific piece). The salespeople are very helpful and friendly. Because it's a wholesale store, it's cheap too! As a side note, you will get what you paid for here. Read between the lines. Furniture shopping is great fun. Try out every bed, mime eating a meal at every dinner table, cuddle into all the couches. It's your right to do as a shopper. Try before you buy, right? As I said, come here if you're looking for budget furniture.

Let's imagine Pinterest in real life. Freedom is a real life Pinterest board full of aspirational…read morehomewares, decorative pieces, furniture and more. It's all priced reasonably and quality varies depending on what you're buying. I rarely walk out of Freedom without a few more "wish list" items and I always leave with ideas racing through my head for home decoration. It's just the effect they have on me. This particular store is conveniently located in amongst a Home Maker Centre, meaning, it's surrounded by equally alluring stores like Domayne and Dare. It's a devilish trio. There's ample parking underneath with a 3 hour free parking limit while you shop. I guess that's their RSS: Responsible Service of Shopping. I've always found the staff at this store to be more than helpful. Last weekend we got a quote on a basic bed for our guest room and I was impressed that a few days later I received a follow up call to check-in on "our thought process." There's really quite the range from the super on-trend and seasonal pieces to more classic "ready to stand the test of time" ranges. Whatever your fancy or style, you'll find something within this real life Pinterest board.

Good stuff for the price, but after having waited 12 weeks and still no table delivered, I'm fed…read moreup. I call every week and get the same response that they simply don;t know when it will be in. What kind of logistics are the running?! Pathetic really.

If you live in Brisbane, the advantage of Replica Furniture as opposed to other companies that…read moreoffer replica designer furniture is that they are based in Brisbane so most items you can buy in-store and take home with you straight away as opposed to paying / waiting for your item to be shipped. They are very competitively priced and exact replica's of the real items of equal quality.

From the owner: At Replica Furniture we are committed to providing our customers with premium replica furniture and…read morelighting inspired by classic designs of the 20th Century. We import directly from our manufacturers, this means that we offer exceptional wholesale pricing on all of our premium products. At Replica Furniture we select and work closely with quality manufacturers. In addition we operate a rigorous, Australian based, quality control program. We hold all our product range in stock and there is generally, no wait time for our products.