There's nothing inspirational about Homebase. I'd never…read moredream of buying a kitchen or bathroom for them. Their styles are too plain and cookie cutter for my taste. Likewise, their plant and garden section never knocks me off my feet. If I need to get paint or polyfilla however, I know I'm onto a winner. They also mix paints in store so if they haven't got the exact shade you want on the shelf, it's well worth thumbing through the colour strips and choosing one to get made up. Price-wise, Homebase is about the same as B&Q give or take a few pennies.

As Homebase stores go, this one stands out from the rest. We'll laid out, as are the others, but…read moreit is the staff that makes the difference here. So helpful, pleasant, cheerful and obviously enjoy working there. The store always has some items for sale., and always at a good mark down....recommended.

Who-ever comes up with the titles for Farrow & Ball's paint range should be given their own comedy…read moreshow. Seriously. Inbetween shades like Cooking Apple Green and Lime White there's Smoked Trout, Dead Salmon, Hound Lemon, Mouse's Back, Setting Plaster and my personal favourite, Arsenic! Thank goodness there's a sense of humour evident because everything else about Farrow & Ball screams yuppy and yummy mummy. In short, they sell a wide range of premium paints and wallpapers to make your house look like it should be in the pages of Country Living or Hello magazine. There's a zillion shades of white, grey, beige, yellow, green and what they call 'neutrals.' Everything you buy comes with an advice sheet on how to apply it and guarantees you pretty but bland walls. :-)

I'm with Sarah-Jane when it comes to the posh yuppy feel of Farrow&Ball- there is no place more…read moremiddle to upper class. My dad would faint at the prices and I'm with him on that too. For all that though...I can't help but love the muted colors of their paint, they all look like they have had earth mixed in with them or like you are seeing them through the cigarette smoke of a party in the twenties. They have drama, undeniably and one day I would love to paint some of my walls one of their greys, and a navy perhaps. I guess I must be an aspiring yuppy...oh, dear.

This grim weather won't last forever. Spring is around the corner bringing sunnier days, which…read moremeans one thing it's time to spruce up your home. Leyland is aimed at the professional painter and decorator, but that doesn't mean a talented amateur shouldn't take advantage of offers on paint, wallcoverings and accessories. The store stocks a full range of woodcare products and with more than 15,000 paint colours to choose from, even Jackson Pollock would have been spoilt for choice at this place, just off London Road. I'm tempted to say that these products do what they say on the tin, but that would put the lid on it.

Wickes is more a building supplies company than your average DIY store, so the choice is a bit more…read moremore basic, but generally also more robust. They sell both to the building trade and to the public. We've bought paint, tiles and plumbing supplies from here over the years, and it's served its purpose very well - I'm especially impressed at the price and quality of their paints, but then they sell to the trade, so they should be good. This store has car-parking but the frequent 7 bus also stops just outside (every 6 minutes, Mon-Sat).

When we moved into our flat we needed to sort a few things out, like rehanging the shower curtain…read morerail, and so forth. As such, for a little while our weekends were taken up with the incredibly domestic activity of going to places like Wickes, looking for screws, and so forth. Unfortunately we didn't really know our wood screws from out coach screws, plus we only wanted a few screws, not oodles of screws and, Wickes being a building suppliers rather than a DIY shop mostly sold large packs, which left us, well, screwed. Basically amateurs are better off heading to Dockerills or B&Q, and Wickes should be left for the professionals. The staff were however quite helpful when it transpired my boyfriend had locked the car keys in the car...

I agree with the previous reviewer. I am a regular customer and the shop serves all my decorating…read moreneeds. They stock a high quality range of paint which is cheaper than what you get at most decorating or DIY stores and they have great discounts too. Due to space restrictions they may not stock highly specialized items or tools (I personally would like to be able to get power tools from a friendly local shop but can understand the difficulties in stocking them) but they do have nearly all items which the average DIY enthusiast might need and they have a good selections of household electrics too. Also, the staff will always be happy to advise you on where to get what you are looking for if they don't stock the item. I definitely prefer shopping there rather than in a large anonymous DIY chain and would advise anyone to give them a try.

This is a sweet little hardware store in Kemptown, Brighton. They're handy for quite a bit of stuff…read moreand I love supporting the small guy. I'd give them 4 stars, but there's one gripe: It's the middle-aged guy who I assume is the owner. He always seems a bit irritated to answer any questions and is completely cold towards customers. If you're lucky, you'll get one of the other staff who are much nicer and able to interact with humans. It was unfortunate to see them downsize to smaller premises, but I wonder had the owner not treated customers like they were bothering him, then maybe they would've done better. In contrast, Dockrills in the center of Brighton has really friendly, helpful staff and I'd recommend them over Bedford.

Igigi General Stores looks and feels like a boutique shop you'd stumble across in Paris…read more There's a spiral staircase which leads to a cafe and the walls have been stripped back to reveal original details of the building. As for their stock, they specialise in expensive, antique chairs, daybeds, cupboards and chaise longues. The cosy size of the store means there's usually only one of each on display but the owners clearly have access to more as they also offer a home-styling and bespoke furniture service. As well as unique pieces of classic furniture, they sell lovely linen, tableware, glasses, bowls, chopping boards, cake stands, candles and toiletries. It's an enchanting space but I suspect if I took items home they wouldn't look quite as special as they do in the store! I also find the fact everything's white, cream or wood a little bland. Like Pedro Almodovar, I love splashes of bold colour and Igigi is devoid of them.

Igigi General Stores has a really nice, homey atmosphere - a great shop to come into out of the…read morerain. The home décor and natural gift ideas came in a grey, beige and wooden theme. Handmade soaps, bath and shower gels, china and dishware, napkins and placemats, candles and vases were all in these natural colours and had a nice earthy feel. Wooden items included functional pieces like coat-hangers as well as decorative figurines - mostly hand painted animals. Men's fashions were displayed in the basement, although women's fashions have been moved a few doors down on Western Street. I didn't venture into the café upstairs, but from glancing in, it had the same homey/earthy feel. I'm guessing healthy organic yummies, but will venture back this week to check it out. Igigi is a bit expensive for gifts, but they're unique and high quality - I recommend checking it out.

First of all: assess your budget…read more If you've got a few grand to spare: read on. If you're normal: you might as well not bother. Money aside, I'd vote Rume one of the best, if not the best, independent furniture store in Brighton. Amongst other things they stock two in-house ranges, Baker & Belgae and Jet Baker, that comprise everything from Victorian style Chesterfields to Opulent Chez Longs. They also stock various other pieces including lamps, clocks, cushions and cabinets. If you've serious cash then you can even get a bespoke item made to you exact specifications. If it wasn't so bloody expensive I'd be a bigger fan of this place but I can't give five stars to a business that charges over £3000 for a sofa.

Rume is one of those places that makes you wish you played the Lottery…read more An independent store selling stylish and eye-catching furniture, they sell classic chesterfields, chaise longues, day beds, corner sofas and arm chairs by established names and resident designers Jet Baker and Baker and Belgae. Laid out in an open, warehouse style space, they also sell cool and funky coffee tables, cabinets, dining tables, lamps and chandeliers. If I had a spare three and a half thousand, I'd be tempted to buy Mool's incredible, life-size horse lamp. It makes me laugh every time I see it and would shock visitors. In reality, my budget only stretches to Tom Dixon mirrorball lamps and their divine cushions. Should I pick the rabbit and lettuce ones or pigeon and jelly?