Home Zone is all about interior design for the kind of person that knows what they are looking for,…read moreand doesn't need to leave it all to a designer, (although I bet that interior designers use Home Zone just as much as we do, for both inspiration and ideas, as well as purchasing their products and services). Home Zone have only been around for five years, but have established themselves really quickly, and are generally considered to offer us a benchmark of what is both tasteful and innovative. In addition, Directors Jayne Bishop and Sean Kerr offer a full and attentive service, which has also gone a long way to augment their standing. Specialising in made to measure curtains and soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, and tracking with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, they draw on their combined 40 years of experience, which puts them in the enviable position of being able to work with trusted people that they have had regular dealings with over the years. These days they have a dedicated, highly experienced team of sewers, upholsterers and fitters who work alongside them, as well as a network of crafts people who can be commissioned to make accessories when required. Some of the beautiful things that the crafts people make are amazing, and prove that everything is possible! Using every material imaginable, and every technique available, they are able to produce practically anything you could dream of for the house and home. Home Zone can do conventional as easy as falling off a log, but where they excel is when they are pushing creative boundaries and coming up with unique solutions for clients that have a real appreciation of what is possible.

From the owner: We are a small, local, team of specialist curtain makers, upholsterers and fitters and we offer a…read morefabulous service, providing you with made to measure soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, shutters and tracking along with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, to make the whole process a bit easier for you!

If I had a thousand pounds to decorate my room, I would come to Sense…read more Very contemporary, very chic, very nice! I couldn't help but feel a little in awe wandering round this shop, they have thought of just about everything from furniture, to decoration, lighting of every kind even garden accessories. At the moment they have some huge, and I do mean huge, cups and sauces outside which I assume you would plant a pretty plant in, though they looked way to good to put soil in if you ask me! As well as quite extravagant things they do have a good selection of affordable bits and pieces ideal from presents or to brighten up your room, like picture frames, fairy lights, and statement cushions! Not everything in here is to my taste, I think you will either love or hate some pieces but it's definitely work popping in on your way past.

"DO NOT ENTER if you have a dreary, grey, misty, Autumn outlook, as you may be distressed by the…read morecontents of this shop and might have convulsions". This sensory warning should be displayed prominently at the door of the excellent shop - 'Sense Clifton' - all bright and glittering, colourful pinks, blues and shiny metals. On the other hand, if you have a sparkling magpie persona, fine. Or if you just want to be shocked out of your November torpor, come to Sense for a quick fix. You dont have to buy anything, just browse and you'll fell much better. Though of course, the owners would also feel much better if you did buy something, so why disappoint - they will have done you a good turn. According to some blurb, Sense "...offers a smart mix of design-led products with a contemporary edge...". Apparently, the owners' frequent trips to Holland have given them a new perspective on design. They wanted to attack all the senses and create a complete home environment, everything from comfortable leather seating, exciting lighting and soft furnishings to unusual gifts. Pay a visit yourself, check it out, but take heed of the sensory warnings - highly recommended.

I love this store, I am madly in love with about 3 of the windchimes on display here, I already…read morehave 2 from here - there are only so many chimes a person needs, but they are so pretty. I know nobody needs a geisha snowglobe in their life but again, its hard to resist when you are surrounded by cute trinkets! It isn't just cute and silly, it sells some nice accessories. I got a bag from here which got loads of compliments. This is a great place to buy some pretty pretty gifts or just treat yourself to something fun.

Evolution is a gift shop in The Galleries in Broadmead. I think this is my favourite shop to buy…read morepresents from thus far! They used to be quite a Balinese style gift shop buy quickly has moved towards a more Brittania, cutesy and kitsch feel lately. I would happily decorate my apartment with the stuff here. There are great welcome mats here that I've been eyeing up recently that look really well made and are affordable too, at £12. They have a few pieces of kids wooden furniture, some chairs sold here are so very cute, with carvings of animals on the chair backs- however I have no children to buy them for as yet! A few presents I have bought here are their rustic metal gifts; like wall clocks made to look antiquey and wall hangings with old style postcards printed on them. I bought my best friend one that said 'live well, love much, laugh often', which she loved. When on sale, I bought a huge amount of candles here which lasted me ages, and smelt great (they were mighty cheap). I could go on talking about the many various things they sell, but the best is if you keep this place in mind to check out for when you next need a gift!

Loads of furniture of the bright and modern variety. Not really my style, but my friend who's into…read moreall things kitch regularly lusts after various things in here. It's better quality than Ikea, but with a price to match, and they have some unique lampstands and funky chairs that wouldn't have looked out of place in the 70s (in a good way). Definitely worth considering if you're buying a present for someone, or if you're into that sort of thing. If not, at least wander past and look at the window displays.

Great place for window shopping and browsing and for finding things you won't find elsewhere in…read moreOxford. Very modern and stylish.

This long established firm has graced Frome town centre for a hundred years, over various premises…read more It's a treasure-trove of variety, a well laid out light and open store with a delightful stock. For the kitchen there is all sorts of crockery, chinaware, cookware, glassware, tableware and gadgets. From the traditional to retro to ulta modern. A small section of gardening miscellia - from seeds to patio furtniture, and bathroom accessories, and the helpful knowledgeable assistants can always advice on availability of anything you enquire after. For the home baker and the home preserver there are all the accessories you might need, along with the various little nuts and bolts that hark back to it's roots as a hardware store. A lovely store to browse, and I have often treated myself to a small item or two - and coveted many more!

From the owner: An independent homewares store in the heart of Frome.read more

I recently took a much picture to Chromatic Arts on Rodbourne Road to be framed. I`m not very…read morecolour co-ordinated so i didn`t have a clue what type of frame i wanted. The very helpful sales assistant showed me a wide range of frames to choose from and made some very helpful suggestions. I asked him when it would be available and he said he would have it ready the next day- i was very impressed and the finished product looks lovely in my living room. The price was very reasonable and i will be returning for my future framing needs.

I've used several picture framers over the years, but have never had one that provides such as…read moreoutstanding level of service and quality of framing. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend anyone to use Chromatic Arts to get anything framed with the confidence that they'll be looked after and receive good quality work!

A fantastic addition to Banbury's old town area. Whether you are looking for a 'statement piece' to…read moreanchor a room or the perfect accent to finish off a shelf or cosy corner, this is the place for you. Also a must if you need to buy a gift for the interior decor fiend in your life. Have bought both gifts and treats for myself here and it's always a shopping highlight for me. Fab stuff and helpful proprietor.

From the owner: Independent shop specialising in one off vintage painted furniture pieces, decorative antiques,…read moreinteriors & lifestyle. Frenchic Chalk Paint Stockist & tutor. Based in Parsons Street, Banbury and within Banbury Antiques Centre.

We brought a set of Rocknife's from their website as both my wife and I love cooking and I love a…read moregood knife to prep food with. We've always used steel knives in the past, but this time, I wanted to try something different. My old knives were becoming blunt and so searched for a knife that doesn't blunt easily - which is where I discovered Ceramic Knives! I did some research and decided to try them out. I couldn't be happier with the knives I brought from Rocknife - they slice through all veg and meat (though I'd be very careful using them on boned meat otherwise they might chip and wouldn't recommend using them to crush garlic either). I've had them for about a year now and they are still as sharp and as sturdy as the day I brought them. They were also a great price! I would highly recommend them to anyone who wants really sharp kitchen knives

From the owner: Specialising in Ceramic Kitchen Knives, Rocknife creates and designs our own Kitchenware, from the…read moreshape of a handle to the design on the blade, every aspect of each product that is created by Rocknife is carefully put together by our designers before being prototyped and tested. Only once testing, product quality and evaluation has taken place will a design be sent for preliminary production, depending on response from our extensive user base, each product has to pass the final quality test, by you -- our customers. You can be sure that every knife or product that you view on this website will have been through all these processes. Our knives are recognised by professional chefs and used extensively by thousands of people in their homes and workplaces.