I think Chris is multitasking; theres Chris's Prizzeria just next door. Happy co incidence? Maybe…read more Anyway, the timber and flooring store isn't huge, so don't come along thinking that it is, because you'll be disappointed. It's a pretty simple store with not a lot of space, but they have jam-packed the space they do have with furniture. And its not the cheap stuff either. If you're wanting to assemble your own furniture, and maybe dont care if it breaks down after a year, try ikea. But if not, and if you live nearby and are scanning the area for that specific piece of furniture, come on in and take a look at whats around at Chris's. You'll probably know within the first few minutes if the place has what you need or not, so stop by. But maybe don't go out of your way to get here.

My flat is almost wall to wall with bookcases and I always need more. I used to get the flat packed…read morechipboard types, which you assemble yourself. But when you completely fill them like I do, they tend to buckle and wear out quite easily. So I have begun to invest in proper, quality wood bookscases. Chris's timber furniture offers well sized and good quality stained bookcases and the prices are reasonable, I can pack them full of books and DVDs and they won't buckle. They also sell custom made furniture which would be more expensive and they have really good bedroom storage also reasonably priced, I might go back and get one of those cane basket storage thingies, oh didn't I mention I buy too many clothes too.

Big store and cheap prices. They do however need to work a bit more on the entertainment side of…read morethings. This is why I decided to drop it by one star.

Home Depot isn't a hardware store like it is in the USA, rather it's a kitchenware store which has…read moreeverything any cook would ever need. They have beautiful saucepans, rolling pins, baking pans and gadgets I have never heard of but I am sure are really useful. It is truly an Aladdin's cave. The have Jamie Oliver, Cusinart, Scanpan, Mondial Knives, I could go and on. Service is a bit so so but who cares, it's mainly self service anyway. Pure heaven!

Seaweed and Sand home wares as the name suggests is inspired by the sea and the sand and is…read morededicated to the Aussie love of living by the sea. The soothing colours of the sea and the sand make an eclectic mix. The motto of the shop is to bring the seaside home in whatever way one likes. It could be your bathroom, to the lounge , bedroom or just backyard. All the products here are handmade to perfection. There are beautiful paintings of the sea side, the beach and the sky. Home furnishings like bed covers and curtains inspired by the sea. What I really loved was the furniture carrying the same theme forward. There was a centre table with a glass top. Underneath the glass top there was a little showcase where I could see the sand, starfish and other coral. Breathtaking is the word that came to my mind instantly. There is so much creativity in the shop. wind chimes made of sea shells ,lights made in the shape of starfish , a coral display box and numerous other things. A good shop with excellent customer service too. What's more they constantly have new things added to the lot.

Smallish local presence for the second-bigest hardware chain in Australia. It's usually got the…read morestuff I need, but I don't usually require (or know how to use) anything too specialised. Staff are OK.

'G'day, I'm after some paint'…read more '...yeah? Well I would say you've came to the right place' I needed paint but know nothing about it other than all them pretty colors. And according to the interweb, a certain hardware chainstore dominates the market so I went on a mission to find trustworthy local paint shops that sells to non-tradies (no really, it's a thing). Despite the cheeky greeting, the fellas at Paint World were super helpful. You tell them what you want done and who's doing it (DIY or pros) and they'll sort you out. They carry all the big brands as well as some of the alternatives where you don't need the names, they didn't up-sell either. The total was over 10% cheaper than the aforementioned giant chain store for the same products. Now that I'm a regular (been there twice), here's a tip...Mon-Fri mornings are peak hour for tradies, so if you're after advice and a good paint debate try to steer clear of those times and go in over the weekend when they can talk paint til the cows come home.

Bunnings at Carlingford isn't as big as some of the other Bunnings in the area, such as the one in…read moreNorthmead. However, if you're just looking for the general hardware needs, you can find it here. If you want a specific item, it's best to call up first because the variety can be limited here sometimes.

Great Woolworths for all your grocery needs…read more This is a full sized supermarket which hosts a great range of fresh and dry products. Located on the second floor this supermaket can be tricky to access if you have a trolley as there the travelator is at the other end of the supermarket to et from level one back down to the ground floor. Look for the lift on the first floor to quickly access the car parks. Great fresh fruit and veg for last minute dinner ingredients. Bottle shop located just next door to pair with your dinner essentials.