If you like exotic pictures, statues and ornaments then you'll love this shop. I was amazed at how…read moremuch they sold and was almost captivated by all the products. Their products range from giraffes as tall as you to animal masks to brightly painted pictures to unique African style ornaments. They could really spice up your home. With all this going on it made the shop look a bit cluttered this was a minor issue for me because I was so amazed at the products. Who knew a little taste of the exotic could be so close? The prices are good as well and if you've read any of my other reviews you'll now I like a bargain. The paintings were about ten pounds and small ornaments were on offer for less than £5.00. Being in here temporarily took my mind of the real outside world. If I had the money on me I definitely would have taken something home!

I really like wooden carved ornaments and unique art pieces, so I thrive on visiting these sorts of…read moreplaces. When I first discovered Exotic Homeware, I was literally amazed at the amount of cultural creativity that they sold, especially considering that the store is not far from where I live; I feel like I should have discovered it sooner. From wooden crafted giraffes to elephants to masks to brightly coloured birds to cages to canvases, the shop sells a great selection of organic and hand created objects, which really do make your home look more interesting and cultured. The price of items isn't bad either; usually when you go to similar shops, they put a high cost on these sorts of unique gifts. But here, you can pick up a medium sized collection of three wooden owls for £5! Bargain! I really wouldn't mind buying every item in this shop to be honest. Then I'd be able to develop my own haven of all things exotic to escape the drudgery of Birmingham. (from time to time)

Wow, what a gem! I wish I had discovered this earlier…read more Located within walking distance from Broad St, and has very good transport links, this handy business sells everything from ornaments, furniture, flooring, Chinese antiques and arts, to clothes, fabrics and jewellery that are unique and distinguished in character. This is an ideal shop that has it all to fit out your home with all the decor, and more, whether your a first time buyer, or just in need of some stuff. I really liked this outlet, as it's not like the Ikea's of the shopping world, it's a great independent outlet. You feel like your walking through someones home as it's so nicely fitted out. It would be nice if the shop offered gift vouchers, as there is so much housing in the city. That way, if your not exactly convinced of a purchase, you can still buy a voucher where friends and family can choose instead.

With neighbours including a hair salon, a beauty spa and a newsagents, Curzon's is an unusual…read moreaddition to the mini commercial district in the otherwise residential area along Sheepcote Street near the NIA. Stocking a wide range of Chinese furniture, ornaments and clothing, Curzon's is well worth making the trip. The family-owned business also offers traditional Chinese teas, interpretation and translation services, and tutoring in Mandarin Chinese. The staff are really chatty and happy to assist you with making your purchase, and the shop often has special offers on a wide variety of stock. You might expect a shop like this to be found nearer the Chinese quarter, but given the number of apartment complexes in the immediate area that might benefit from an oriental makeover, it makes sense to something a little closer to home.

I was left with a great first impression of Walnut and Weave. They have some cool things for the…read moreladies. They sell a variety of furniture and trinkets for your house such as: mirrors, photo-frames and crockery. I particularly liked their crockery. Most other shops in Solihull who sell similar things are very costly so I was pleased to find Walnut and Weave is better priced. This was even better as they had a sale on for some items. Even though I didn't buy anything the staff were very friendly and even thanked me as I left without buying anything. This is definitely a shop for the ladies.

This place is just plain cool. It's the kind of place you might want to bump into that old friend…read morefrom school days so that they knew you had class. However, with my Phil Spencer hat on I find it hard to understand its unique selling point or purpose. It's not clear at all. The home stuff sort of has a cottage-y vintage feel to it, but the discount section right next to it has Olympic themed toys. They have a card and gift-wrapping section at the back and then upstairs there's furniture by 'SIA Home Fashion'. It's a bit of a mixed bag of a shop but I do really like the stuff they've got. In the furniture section they had a denim chair that still sort of resembled a pair of jeans. I thought that was pretty cool.

Fabric textiles can cover a wide range of things and that's just what Textiles Direct specialise…read morein. This is where I usually come if I need any new textiles (cushion covers, curtains, bedding etc) and it's a great place to pick up a bargain. They pretty much have everything you could want that's made from fabric. With all the crazy savings a person can make here I'm guessing their profit margins are small and I wonder how they make money. As of the amount of textiles they sell the shop can sometimes look messy but that's a minor issue that can easily be fixed. As well as this there aren't many staff and I've often found myself waiting a while to be served. The staff are friendly, helpful and have a good knowledge of all the materials, which is great considering I am clueless when it comes to knowing what material to use. They help you chose and measure all the textiles, if you want. I would recommend Textiles direct to anybody who needs to buy any fabrics and other things made from fabrics (covers, bedding and curtains etc.)

Terrible customer service policies and low quality products!…read morePurchased pillows and duvet which I had to throw away after just 3 months of usage, as there were feathers coming out everywhere and completely unusable. Contacted customer service and after waiting for three days, I was told that there was nothing they could do as I had already thrown the pillows and duvet away. They didn't suggested anything at all to rectify the situation. Definitely not the service I expected, especially keeping in mind that reputable companies offer up to 5-year guarantee on feather and down products! Avoid this company!

The bright colours, modern designs and unique sculptures are what persuaded me to come here. They…read morereally have some interesting and modern designs here. The room sets are great and are made from good quality material. That said, some of the designs aren't to my liking but they probably are to somebody else's. As nice as the designs are they are very pricey- a simple centre table piece of a man painted red cost one hundred pounds! As well as that some of the furniture isn't much different to those at larger places like Ikea and you could probably purchase something similar for a lower price elsewhere The staff were friendly enough to ask how I was doing but not helpful as they didn't seem to know much about the products. As for my first experience at dwell I thought it was a good place to admire some exclusive and contemporary pieces of furniture and various other pieces for decor. Unfortunately the prices are too much for someone like me to consider buying anything.

Some lovely contemorary furniture and accessories in here I always visit. While very pricey, so…read moremuch of it is unusual that it's a great place for ideas. That said, some of the accessories are simply nasty £200 dor a diamante encrusted skull? Glossing over that, the room sets are great and the quality good. Staff aren't too helpful, we were told there was a collection point and there wasn't, so we had a nightmare transporting our purchases to the car, but we're extremely pleased with them.

Specialised in 20th century vintage design furniture and gadgets for home, Fragile Design is a fine…read moreshop to stop and take a good look around, with no pressure or hurry, if it's possible! If you're looking for a unique home design fix, this is the place to be! I have looked for a new coffee table over past few weeks and I was glad to find some gorgeous samples at Fragile Design. As their collection includes an exclusive and stunning memorabilia, it's likely to be undecided about what to get. The pottery decorative pieces are amazing and this is just a snapshot of what you can expect from this shop. There are pieces and prices affordable for all kinds of pockets and honestly, for an outstanding vintage shop like this; I didn't find it expensive at all. Fragile Design is placed at Custard Factory, inside the Zellig building, and it's open from Tuesdays to Saturdays (from 10am to 5.30pm) and Sundays, Mondays and Tuesday by making an appointment in advance.

I first came across Fragile by accident about a year ago but only recently managed to get in due to…read moreits limited 'designer-esque opening hours (Wednesday to Saturday or by appointment only)! However, I'm glad I made it inside this wonderful oasis of 20th century furniture! It looks like the house I grew up in with furniture of browns, greens and oranges and yet the furniture looks new. Most items have been refurbished to look like new but still distinctly retro. I was after a very large but unique lampshade and what they actually sell are new ones (albeit made with vintage materials) I thought it was odd that the gentleman didn't take my details to sell me one but instead gave me a flyer of the designer in London that makes them. Fragile Design do offer 'looking for something' form on their website so the store is fantastic if you have something very particular in mind, as I tend to when it comes to furnishings.

With the triple whammy of the Euro Championships, the Queens' diamond Jubilee and the Olympics,…read moreCarly's is another shop window decked out in Union Flags, as well as cushions, wine glasses, trinket boxes and bunting in red, white and blue. Having spent a lot of time this spring in small touristy villages that are rife with gift shops, I have seen enough variations of the Keep (insert almost ANY word here) and (something else, something else), phrase to last a thousand tired life-times. It is then with GREAT caution that I open to door to Carly's. Phew! She's a far classier bird is Carly than to bow down to populist cliches. There are some lovely gifts in here targeted at yummy mummies like wine caddies in the shape of high-heel shoes, frog prince ornaments and make-your-own-in the-shop craft facilities. A wide range of home furnishings, interior design, and objects d'art all beautifully displayed with taste, style, and elan. A large warehouse at the rear of the shop stocks larger furniture items. Carly's also offer a bespoke interior design service and if the layout of the shop is an indication of this you know that your money will be well spent.

A card emporium is the way I would describe this store. Through the first part of the store you…read morecome to a kind of corridor that leads to a very small back section of this shop. This fairly wide corridor is stacked full of greetings cards of all shapes, sizes and costs. You really would be hard pressed to not find the card of your choice here. The rest of the shop stocks gifts and home decor products that you might find of interest. They also stock some furniture. But for me it was all about the cards. A great selection.

This is a fairly large store but seems a bit cramped because it can be a bit jam packed with goods…read more Saying that they do stock some lovely items and have bought a fair few cushions, glasses, cups and other household goods. The prices and the staff are both good. Queue can get a bit long at times, but the till staff get it down as fast as they can.

This store is really useful for presents as it sells such a variety of things at bargain prices…read more You can find everything from cushions to earrings and waste paper bins in here. I spend ages in here browsing and end up spending loads! It does get very busy near Christmas but is central to Mell Square.