Try the cafe from breakfast to Sunday lunch , ask for Mark the cafe manager always willing to help…read moreall the girls are patient, nothing is too much trouble , oh ask louis to cook your breakfast I'm doing weightwatchers and he has been very helpful. The main wyevale garden centre offers so much it's hard to list . Always an array of colours a bountiful haven for any budding gardener , or just to look at .

Property is so expensive in Brighton that what would be considered a bin yard up North is…read moreconsidered a spacious front or back garden here! Being lucky enough to have both a spacious front and back garden, I am always on the look out for gorgeous new plants. I usually buy my lavendar and herbs from Flower City round the corner and go to Wyevale Garden Centre for everything else. It's expensive but the stock is always varied and extremely good quality. They have plant pots, soil, gardening furniture and seeds inside and a massive selection of seasonal and perennial flowers, plants and fruit trees inside. I've bought everything from rosemary, thyme and chilli plants to dahlias and rose bushes and everything has grown beautifully. In fact, if I could afford it I'd go back tomorrow and order fig and olive trees for next spring.

I visited this store 2 years ago, in November 2009. I said that I'd review them on yelp, so here…read moreit is! A man named Dave helped me; I hope that I got his name right. ( I do remember that his ringtone was "Forever Young," that cool synthesizer 80s song, with the British guy singing kind of high)...anyway, I found the cheapest, firmest bed for the best price; in fact, it was a double. I paid $275.27 for the brand-new bed. The price included the bed and the box spring. I unfortunately don't recall the brand, but I think that it was dreamland. The bed was an ortho one, but definitely not the highest-end bed. Still, it was quite comfortable. I was able to get same-day delivery for free, using a student discount. I was lucky because it was towards the end of their business day, so I just made the cut-off for delivery. I ended up moving and selling the bed after 2 months, but for what it's worth, it was a good bed and came with a 1-year warranty.

A small second-hand furniture shop in the Seven Dials area, selling mostly renovated furniture,…read morealongside pieces in their original condition. They have some interesting bits and pieces, although a pair of chairs we bought from there had been rather badly renovated (superficially fine) and the problem came to light after we bought them. On the other hand, they weren't expensive. I suppose the motto is 'caveat emptor!' when it comes to second-hand furniture. Although cheap, there are cheaper places, for example if you are a student looking to furnish a flat cheaply.

Lovely shop with a lovely owner!…read more Second hand furniture, great variety at great prices! All inc free delivery! Great place to find a new project or some pieces already restored, will definitely be re-visiting soon!!

Great range of things, the guy at the till got a bit rude when I wanted to pay on my card rather…read morethen cash. Found exactly what I needed though and it was a decent price.

The name 'Ransoms' makes me laugh. I have a secret fantasy that something illicit is going on…read morebehind the scenes, but after numerous uneventful shopping experiences, I have decided it is in fact a legitimate DIY business. It's a shame in a way... This is a great little neighbourhood shop that sells all the random essentials, including household items, tools, kitchenware, drain unblocker and plant pots. For some reason I really enjoy the room on the right, which is home to the most amazing amount of useless tack as well as arts and crafts supplies, cheap makeup and even glow in the dark stars! Top tip: they sell clip frames of all sizes.

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.

Cissy Mo is one of those cute shops it's fun to wander around but you rarely see anything you…read moreactually want to buy. I don't know about you but I really don't have the space or the inclination to get a stuffed Ugly doll, an Union Jack tote bag, a multi-pack of plastic moustaches or lipstick plasters. The only thing I find vaguely tempting is the plastic necklace of Haiwain flowers and I already have two at home!

Is it just me or does Brighton have a disproportionately large amount of shops who are all trying…read moreto cash in on 'kitsch' a few years late? They seem to present themselves as the answer to all your gift buying troubles, as if the word 'gift' inherently requires an item which is plastic, gimmicky and fundamentally useless! About 10 years ago when you couldn't buy anything frivolous or fun in England, Cissy Mo would have been novel, but these days we've got all the useless tat we need thanks, so who is still buying plastic kitchen utensils that look like they belong in Yo Sushi,? I realize my tone is harsh, but it really does perplex me- is anyone actually happy when they receive a comedy dustbin or a hoody-shaped ipod holder? I just don't think present buying could get more impersonal... They have an alright selection of cards, some of which are actually quite amusing. What I do really approve of is the gorgeous Liberty make-up and wash-bags they are currently selling- they look extremely out of place in all their floral glory, but for the very first time I was tempted to make a Cissy Mo purchase.

I first stumbled across Yashar Bish on what had been a long, labourious and fruitless search for a…read morefriend's birthday present. I was mesmerized by some grogeous little lanterns hanging in the window and when I noticed the amazing textiles inside, I had to go in and take a look. As you walk in, you feel as if you're entering a Middle Eastern bazaar (only without the noise and hustle and bustle!)...there are beautiful prints everywhere you look: floor, wall and shelf. The place has so much atmosphere, you can almost smell the hookah smoke! That said, it also very tranquil, a really nice place to mosy about admiring rugs, curtains, cushion covers and more. The items are mostly sourced from Asia and the Middle East and they get new stock in quite regularly, so its always worth popping in for a look. They have a beautiful selection of hand-made mugs- I bought some for myself and they are really lovely to drink coffee from. It's worth checking if they have any damaged ones, as they will be reduced to £3 (less than half price)- an absolute bargain!

Staying on a home tip, Yashar Bish is a unique shop that sells distinctive rugs, carpets and…read morefurniture from Turkey, Central Asia and the Middle East. Everything is lovingly sourced by the owners on their travels and the stock ranges from deep colours to rich patterns. If you've already got your floors furnished, they also sell a small selection of wooden cabinets, drawers, throws, blankets, cushions, photographic prints and Eastern lamps.

I have a thing for skulls. Not real human skulls, but I tend to collect decorated skulls and…read moreskeletons from wherever I travel to. I once shleped home a foot tall hand painted wooden skeleton from Guatemala just because I had to have it in my collection of paper mache sugar skulls. Yes, there is a review coming! Walking through Seven Dials I noticed a mirrored mosaic skull hanging in the window of this second hand furniture and house clearance shop. When I went in to inquire about the price, the very lovely owner said to my surprise "£15". I immediately said "sold" and he offered to deliver it to my flat. AMAZING! The point being that even though R.W Berry & Sons deal in house foreclosures and real crafted wooden furniture, you can stroll by and find the most amazing bits and bobs. Be sure to get your hands on it straight away, because most likely it won't be there tomorrow.

Every home decor magazine from Elle Decoration to Living Etc seems to be running features on…read moreupcycling at the moment. For those not familiar with the term, it involves modernising and updating old furniture rather than buying new and using more of the planet's resources. A small secondhand furniture store in Seven Dials, R W Berry is perfect for established and wannabe upcyclers. Unlike a lot of the antique shops in the North Laines, the stock is reasonably priced and there's an interesting mix of desks, dining tables, chairs, dressers, wardrobes, mirrors and clocks. Since most of the stock comes from house and office clearances, there's also the odd filing cabinet, standard lamp and animal head amidst the ornaments and furniture. All you need to start upcycling is cans of paint, varnish and your imagination!

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.

This place is what it is: a junk shop. It's good for finding essentials for an unfurnished student…read morehouse- dining room tables, single beds, desks etc. However, this is not the place to go looking for something unusual or special. Don't get me wrong, you might stumble across something cool while you're in there, but we're not talking cutesy vintage dressing tables or scalloped mirrors in this establishment! There's often things laid out on the pavement, but I'll be honest, none of it ever really draws me in. As I suggested before, Cowell's is a good place to look for practical, functional items...I often see IKEA-esque stuff outside. Inside it can be difficult to see anything, as in true junk-shop style, everything is stacked up in a bit of a jumble. They do buy as well as selling, so if you're moving out or simply want to clear some space, you can try to flog your furniture here! They also do house clearances- contact Andy Cowell to arrange.