Run by veteran antique dealer Paul Downs and his partner April, SWAG is a stylish and unique…read moreshowroom that displays distinctive pieces of antique furniture. Everything is sourced by the couple themselves and as a result, you'll find old leather arm chairs and 1930s sofas next to stainless steel cabinets, wooden chests, trunks and unusual lights. The quality and originality of the stock means the prices venture towards the expensive. For those with a smaller budget however, there's also a small selection of paintings, decorative letters, statues, world globes and mirrors. Since the couple are so friendly, it's also worth making them an offer if there's something you really want but can't quite stretch to.

On first glance I thought this antiques shop looked slightly austere, and in fact I wasn't even…read moresure it WAS an antique shop at first, so sparsely arranged and high quality is the furniture. However, on closer inspection Swag proves to be a very stylish showroom of the highest quality antique furniture and home furnishings. It is an unusual experience compared with many of Brighton's other secondhand furniture dealers, who generally inhabit musty, cavernous shops, characterised by clutter and chaos. Swag is clean and polished; full of 1930s and 1940s office and home furnishings that would fit perfectly in a Film Noir set. I particularly like the metal desk lamps...they really capture something of another time. Although I personally enjoy the rummaging treasure-hunt aspect of the more casual antique/ junk shops in town, I do admire the experience and precision and with which the owners have sourced their collection. The stock is beautiful, just a little pricey for me! A great place to find striking one-offs if you have money to burn.

A great place to buy your pots and pans, also has a good selection of kitchen knives amongst many…read moreother items

This place reminds me of a place in Boston called Bed and Bowl. It also reminds me of chicken…read morenuggets served on a golden tray owned by Jeff Koons. Why? I don't know. So, back to the store. This place is full of home and kitchen decoration things. Picture frames, pots and pans, kitchen towels, clocks, monocles, velocipedes. It's decent stuff. No Octopus, but alright just the same. I'd definitely go here for some good kitchen basics if my apartment was feeling a bit bare. Fortunately my apartment likes to wear its clothing - wool sweaters and long johns and jeans to be exact. There's also some things here which would work well as gifts. Anyone seen those chicken nuggets? Anyone? I've got to go find them.

Babylong trading is an independent retailer offering unique products like furniture, textiles, wall…read moreart, clothes and more! If you are looking for inspiration for your home decor avoid the large chains and go here first, you will definetly find something unique and interesting. Most of the time i find myself visiting to get some of their amazing cards & wrapping paper(much better choise than paperchase or cardfactory) or when I find myself stuck looking for a gift and i need something different.

A very nice branch of this popular homewares chain. Spread over two floors, there's a good…read moreselection of bedding, soft furnishings, curtains and blinds, lighting, kitchen and bathroom items (inc. good value towels) and cleaning equipment and materials. This branch has a first floor cafe - there's a lift and also toilets (kept really clean). They do a simple cream tea for £3.50 with a scone, clotted cream and jam, with tea or coffee. It's not the Ritz, of course, but nice for a low-cost break if you are shopping in the area. They also have a selection of cakes and sandwiches. There's a good sized car park, from which it is also a short walk to a number of other retailers, like Screwfix, Wickes, and ToolStation.

I recently popped into the Farnborough store to buy some kitchen items and was served at the till…read moreby a lady called Jo who was very friendly, welcoming and chatty which made my day.

Flint at Home is the sister shop to Flint down the road. This is shop is much warmer in feel…read morethough, with beautiful wooden floors and a nicer balance between the beachy shabby chic look and minimalism. They sell small collections of home decor items like candles, cushions in muted antique rose patterns, simple stoneware mugs, as well as some furniture and lots of design books. It's all quite expensive but very good quality. I can't afford much here but I go and look for inspiration- I love the color of the walls in the shop- a fabulous grey/pale blue.

This branch of Flint now houses both Flint at Home (the housewares) and the Flint clothing…read morecollection. The housewares are on the ground floor, the clothing upstairs. On the ground floor they have lots of coffee table books, a few cosmetics by REN and fragrances by Miller Harris, some nice vases and ornaments, embroidered cushions and flowers. Everything is in pale colours, whites, greys, pale blues and creams, and there is lots of unfinished wood. Upstairs the clothing has a similar feel, pale neutral shades by designers such as Margaret Howell. I couldn't afford to shop here, a plain linen scarf will set you back a good £70, but I suppose the aesthetic is fairly pleasant in a sophisticated but unstuffy kind of way. Unfortunately I tend feel a bit uncomfortable when I go in because the shop lady stares at me a bit, and says hello like she doesn't really mean it.

Oasis is a fantastic shop that I have visited on a couple of trips to the Isle of Wight…read more They sell all sorts of furniture, ornaments, gifts and much more. Some of the teak furniture they import from Indonesia is just stunning. I have also bought some well priced and unusual items such as ornamental cars made from wire, and candle lanterns made from recycled bottles. Prices are very reasonable and stock changes all the time. This place is definitely worth a visit if you are on the island and is well located between Sandown and Bembridge

Wish there was one on the mainland! Oasis was great! So much I wanted to buy and some pieces were…read moreso low in price I had to double check them! We got tea lights, 2 packs of simmering scented beads (for burning in an oil scent burner) and a Indian inspired oil burner for £8!!! I would have expected the burner to be at least £10 on it's own! So much amazing furniture! Just a shame it's only in the IOW