How nice would it be to have an AGA? I used to live above this shop (best location ever, by the…read moreway) and every weekend I'd go down and pretend I was going to buy one and put it in my flat, they caught on pretty quickly that I was a fantasist but they were still respectful of my baby pink and lilac choices. They are beautiful things - one day maybe eh? They also hold cooking classes here, who knew?! Even if they are primarily based on using an AGA rather than the food itself. I once cooked a chicken from frozen in the microwave so I guess these classes are a million miles away from my reality. Give them a phone and enquire.. they seem to have barred my number?

I love Aga's. To go with my dream of being a country bumpkin housewife, an Aga usually makes an…read moreapperence in my visions of the perfect kitchen. However, Alex James of Blur fame once raved about his on MTV Cribs so much that it put me off, because I hate the man, but this store really reignited my love for them all over again. Aga's are not cheap! But if you can afford one, this shop is the place to be. They have them in an array of colours and shapes to suit the individual. A purple Aga!!!!! I couldn't believe it. It must be mine one day! The fridges are also lovely, but again, super duper expensive. I love this place, if just to dream about things I could never afford!

Very good range of DIY products, paints, tools, hardware, plumbing, electrics, insulation boards,…read moretimber sheets, power tools, joinery items, kitchens and bathrooms appliances, etc. Staff is always available for advice. Prices are reasonable and Wickes own brand products are cheaper than its high street names counterparts. Will certainly go back!

Lots of DIY equipment, gardening, bathroom area, floors, tools, all sorts of stuff. Very helpful…read morestaff, Parking for loading vans just outside the entrance, plenty of car parking spaces. Long hours open! Give it a go!

*This is for the customer experience pre sales*…read more We came in here to get some ideas for our main bathroom with our main bugbear being what bath to choose from (seriously, have you ever tried to look at bath options?). Whilst Mister Bathrooms was straight up from the start and noted he didn't stock nor ever would stock the sort of bath we wanted, our advisor spent a good half hour chatting through our ideas and giving us some options on how to create the bathroom that we wanted. While we won't be able to order a complete suite from here, we did fall in love with some tiles, and given a free sample to take home with us. Delighted, and recommend them, if for the pre sales experience, although we have not experienced what happens next...

This is a great new shop that has recently just opened on Rose Street and it is a great addition…read more They have lots of funky looking cutlery and different types of glasses and cool looking plates. The shop offers a great alternative to the likes of Debenhams and Bhs which offer the more traditional style of crockery. There's nothing wrong with this type of crockery at all, but it is good to have an alternative, that allows the kitchen to look funky and suave. The shop also has a good range of cups and plates and cutlery that are tailored for children with different patterns on them. They also have a few gadgets in here where you can try out some new techniques in the kitchen.

I went into this Creative Cookware on Rose Street in Edinburgh today for the first time and it will…read moredefinitely be the last time, i will go in there. First impressions: snooty, snobbish, racist or maybe staff who have never seen a black person before - too bad. On entry i said good morning to the two ladies at the till - no answer, no reply at all, but when a white couple entered just after me and said hello they got a cheery hello in reply - first strike. I strolled over to check out some tea strainers, which was what i had come in for and the young lady at the till, who had been watching my every movement more hawkishly than a CCTV camera on speed, pretended she needed to get something in the store room next to where i was standing and then suspiciously asked if i needed any help - to which i replied no thank you. By this time i had made up my mind, not to buy anything from Creative Cookware even if i had a gun pointed at my head. I lingered a little still watched by the two attendants and left. I must say i was really disapointed by their behaviour, in a cosmopolitan town like Edinburgh, which gets loads of visitors each year the ladies at Creative Cookware have lost one very vocal customer, who will warn all her friends and family about their snooty, cold, racist service.

I am sorry to say that our experience of Napier Bathrooms and Interiors has NOT been good. We…read morewanted to upgrade our main bathroom, 2 en-suites and a cloakroom. Napier considered this to be a 6 - 8 week project, but it took 21 months to complete and then only after I had exchanged circa 200 email/text messages with them. Not wishing to get involved in a major publication, I will restrict myself to 3 main features of our experience of Napier: Design - Expensively weak . inter alia, I had to give up part of an adjacent built-in wardrobe to accommodate a bathroom sink that could not be installed as planned due to weak design, which we only discovered when they were fitting the suite. Installation - Poor and dangerous - my main bathroom and one en-suite had to be re-wired by a qualified card-carrying electrician due to dangerous electrical installation. A report by an independent Trusted Trader, approved by Trading Standards, and recommended by Citizen's Advice Consumer Helpline was scathing of the work carried out by Napier, but rejected out of hand by Napier. Customer relations - Appalling - I have been accused of being too fussy and the Managing Director, Mr Johnny Bacigalupo, now ignores my communications regarding compensation for his company's shortcomings and the length of time taken to complete the project. We only wish to share our experience to assist others when they are considering making expensive alterations to their property. My advice to anyone wishing to instal or upgrade their bathrooms is to shop around and not be mesmerised by: a good showroom (and Napier's showroom is good); the 'experience' of the team (experience is only relevant if those who purport to have it know how to use it), and; above all ensure that those involved in your design and installation are fully qualified AND can prove their competence through membership of their appropriate professional body. The safety of your family and your property are paramount.

At first glance Napier Bathrooms looks like a well-established "all in" bathroom and interior…read morecompany. Their website advertises "exceptional service" and "complimentary home survey". Do not be fooled by this sleek look and the well rehearsed sales patter of the owner. He will tell you he's been in the bathroom industry for 20 years - he's only 35 so has apparently been selling bathrooms since he was 15 and that he is an expert in bathroom design - he has a BA in Communications - which is why he is probably so good at the sales patter. Anyway, our bathroom wasn't as straight forward as he would have liked and after supplying the wrong taps (high pressure) for our gravity fed system and after many emails backwards and forwards - some not that nice, we finally persuaded him to change the taps and install low pressure ones. Not without a fight anyway and he never admitted liability. He even stated to my partner "isn't this a small problem when you've got the riots in London and the Starving Ethiopians?" and left an answer machine message on my partner's phone about me calling me "Smarmy and Sarcastic" and a "Small Dog Large Bark" because I pointed out that it was his mistake There were many other aspects of the fitting that were not that great either and his "recommended fitter" - also been fitting bathrooms for 20 years so "knows what he's doing" messed up laying our Amtico floor after telling us that he had done it before and knew what he was doing, therefore invalidating our guarantee. All in all for a company that charges more than average for their service I would highly recommend shopping around first and sticking to some more well established bathroom suppliers in Edinburgh.

This review is for two shops : Spektakular and Lilla. They are sister shops that sell a range of…read moreScandinavian products, the former geared more for adults and the latter for children. I stopped in here today because they had Moomins in the window. The fact that they sell Moomin mugs would be enough for 5 stars in my mind, but that is not the only endearing quality. They sell a great selection of products and the staff are kind and friendly. Emma was very nice and helpful to me today, and patient while I squeaked with joy over the merchandise. They have a great selection of holiday ornaments and gifts. You should definitely visit them for any gifts you may need this upcoming season!

Little independant shops are so much nicer than big chain stores and this place is no exception as…read moreit brightens up the street. I often go in when im buying gifts for people but of course I always come out with something for myself too :) The best thing about this shop is that the goods are very affordable but the quality is not compromised..a combination that is hard to find!I'm slowly building up a Spektakular collection and when I move flat in a couple of months i'll be making space especially (and i'll have to arrange a party so I can buy the gorgeous martini glasses I have my eye on too). definitely worth a look, particularly if you are looking for gifts.

Good quality products but will they arrive? Probably not no…read more We chose a lovely couple of suites and placed our order, the staff were great and very helpful. We were very happy but then the problems started. There had been incorrect items added to the order which despite the store knowing this were still delivered. We then had to wait for them to be collected to get a refund and in the meantime had to pay additional money for the correct items I was pretty astounded that the staff did not sort this out as they were aware of it prior to the delivery being dispatched but as there was a £30 difference in the cost they did not. When a customer has spent thousands I cant see the point in not rectifying a problem in advance of it being delivered and providing a little bit of customer service... no chance! We are still waiting for the refund from the store's mix up over a month later. I you are thinking about buying I would say that if you see something elsewhere go for it as the hassle you will have to go through to to get your bathroom from the Bathstore is not worth it. Such a shame.. f

Bought a whole bathroom suite, but toilet seat split along the edge after three years and the Bath…read moreStore would not replace it as they said the guarantee was for 2 years. I had to buy a new one at £50. Asked for discount and answer was, "No!". Not very happy with the quality of the goods and decision to to offer a free replacement. Would not return as a customer in future.

Good hardware stores are a rare breed these days. Good hardware stores that sell a range as…read moreextensive as Houseproud of Morningside are like dodo eggs. From compost to pans, screwdrivers to bird tables they have it all. Split into two parts, the left hand side sells all the things you'd expect to find in a hardware store and more. They have a nifty garden section, selling pots, trowels, compost, bird tables among other things. They also have the usual range of tools, light bulbs. All the things you'll ever need. The right hand side is dedicated to kitchen products, and they have a huge range. I bought myself a hand blender from there which, at £20, was a little on the expensive side but not too overpriced. Given this place is an independent shop in an affluent area of Edinburgh you can expect to pay a little more than you would in a major chain. However, the staff are engaging and helpful and the plethora of products makes it worth a visit next time you run out of tea towels.

I have always found that good DIY stores, outside of the major chains, are hard to find in…read moreEdinburgh. Houseproud of Morningside are the exception to this rule. Situated on Morningside Road in a visible on-road location, they stand head and shoulders above all others I have tried in the city. As DIY shops go, they stock pretty much everything you would expect to find. From paints to Polyfilla, screwdrivers to sandpaper, they cover all the bases. I've visited this store on two occasions. Firstly, I went to pick up some expanding foam to fill in mouse holes in the flat. Not knowing exactly what I was looking for, I asked the assistance of a member of staff. He helpfully pointed out to me all of the different things they offered, showing a range of prices and uses. He helped me to find the product that was ideal for what I needed it for, and didn't automatically go for the hard sell on the most expensive. The second occasion was to buy a bradawl - something that is like a screwdriver, but has a point on the end rather than a screw head. Whilst this time I didn't need help finding it, the shop assistant at the counter still engaged me in some light-hearted chat whilst I was paying. It's these sort of things that I really appreciate in a small shop like this. They don't view customers as more money for the tills, but engage with you as a person. I will definitely be using this place again, as it saves a trip out of town to one of the larger chain stores. This shop is a must for all your Morningside DIY needs!