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.

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.

From the outside of Muji I think its quite hard to work out what kind of shop it actually is....the…read moreclothes in the window give the impression of a fashion retailer but you can clearly see office supplies inside the door. Confused I ventured inside to have a look around. The place is a home and fashion retailer stocking stationary, homeware, bedding and clothing. All of the items in the shop are very well designed and have a very crisp vibe. I like the attention to detail in the shop with the very minimalistic approach to the layout making everything very easy to look at at and make your way around. On a personal note there was a cuckoo clock I saw while inside the shop that I think now has my name on.....it was really special. Ill think twice before going in for a look around again it could be an expensive habit!!

Muji can easily be seen from the ramp as you leave New Street station. Head past Jane Norman (on…read morethe corner) and head up towards Centenary and Muji is located on the right hand side. It's a strange old shop, originating from Japan, their mission statement to develop new simple products at reasonable prices by making the best use of materials while considering environmental issues. They sell stationary, bedding, furniture, and clothes. The stuff they produce is very basic and simple, well made but I find that it's rather expensive. (The last time I looked, dressing gowns were £40). I do have a brother who hates labels and likes simple clothes that are enviromentally friendly so for christmas presents it is always worth a look.

Urban Outfitters, Birmingham is on the corner of New Street / Corporation Street in a good central…read morelocation by the tram tracks. Other than having the most modern, fast and cleanest lift which I've seen in an Urban Outfitters store, it really didn't impress me as much as their Manchester and Liverpool stores. The selection was okay in general and they did have a sale section, again this was smaller than Manchester and Liverpool. The music around the store was far too loud, which again didn't seem to be a problem at their other locations. The first floor is much larger and they do have some cool, novelty items which you'd expect to find at any Urban Outfitters including a photo booth. The store cleanliness was poor with items just thrown on the floor and staff appearing to make no effort of tidying the store up. 2* - A good brand with some cool novelty items but they really do need to work on increasing standards similar to other UK stores and even going one better.

Birmingham's Urban Outfitters is a trendy place to shop…read more The fashion is a little different, new and even vintage, and they also offer home pieces such as rugs and bedding, also festival essentials, tshirts, funky caps, small gadgets for stocking fillers and so on. Whatever your looking for your bound to find it in here! This is one of my favourite places to shop, and in particular, I like the unique type of gifts that you can get, but can't purchase anywhere else. A little pricey though, and they are very friendly in here. Spaced over 2 floors, there is a lot to browse.

Decoron is a specialist decorating store that sells wallpapers, paints, tools and brushes and much…read moremore. It is a family run business that has been running since 1966 and is also an award winning company. If you are looking for a store that specialises in decorating, Decoron could be your answer. Decoron regularly update their showroom with the latest designs and colours but they also offer contemporary and traditional wallpapers. I did like the wallpapers on sale but to be honest they were on the expensive side. Decoron offer a range of paints and colours so there are plenty of paints to choose from. The staff are very friendly and they will help you if you need it. Decoron is worth a visit if you need guidance on decorating a new room(s) or need new wallpapers.

This newly opened shop is the latest in a number of excellent independent businesses to set up in…read morethe famous Jewellery Quarter area of Birmingham and it compliments well the many already there. It's a gift shop with a difference, the difference being that profits are reinvested in the good works undertaken in the city by its parent social enterprise. So when you buy something here you also leave behind some added value that's reinvested in the community. I'm not sure whether everything sold is actually produced by other social enterprises, but I think that is the aspiration. The range of stock actually surprised me; there's everything from wrapping paper, scented candles and retro vases to gift boxes filled with all kinds of wonderful stuff, so it's an ideal stop off for Christmas gift hunting. When I popped in I right away found several items to add to my shopping list, including an item or two for those difficult to please folks we all struggle with. The shop itself isn't that easy to notice at present, but it's only been open a few days. If I didn't live within a minute or two I may have missed it, but I had seen the shop had been taken over, having been empty for quite a long time now, so my curiosity was pricked. I'd suggest an A-Board outside to help potential customers notice as they walk down the street. It's got a great old-style but rather discrete frontage that belies the size of the interior. OK, it's not huge but it's actually very nice and bright inside with lots of room for stock. Knowing how the building was before I'd say they've worked hard to bring it up to scratch! The staff are pleasant and attentive but don't hassle or linger. I felt quite comfortable browsing. While the shop had one or two people in while I was there, three staff did seem like overkill, but it's clearly great work experience for them and that's part of the social enterprise idea I guess. They'll probably need three as we approach Christmas! This end of Vyse Street was fairly dead when I first moved here but over the last few years has picked up nicely. This is a lovely and welcome addition, very well located close to the brilliant, rather fascinating JQ museum and a couple of excellent cafés, one a traditional egg and chips place, possible the best in the area, the second more a deli and tea shop (also really good). So you can have a walk down the street checking out the jewellery (remember to haggle!) and the famous museum, pop into Citizen Home for a few gifts and a browse, then finish off with some lunch or a decent cuppa! I wish the business well - a great idea that seeks to make the world a better place!

From the owner: We provide gifts and homewares with a bit of a twist! Many of our products are ethically sourced…read morefrom social enterprises and local businesses. We are always keen to add more locally produced products- pop in and say hi

Extremely helpful staff that go above & beyond to assist you…read more Very welcoming and friendly & nothing is too much trouble.

From the owner: Period Property Store offers a huge range of items ideally suited to adding character and style to…read moreperiod interiors. In addition we stock hundreds of products recommended for the installation, finishing and maintenance of original and reproduction features such as parquet flooring, Victorian floor tiles and cast iron hardware. With a nationwide delivery service and fast daily dispatch of thousands of stock items, we are able to service our huge following of satisfied customers across the UK. Based in the heart of the country, conveniently located showrooms situated within our Grade II listed reclamation centre are well worth a visit, with many of the product ranges on display. Whether you are looking for traditional style ironmongery, prime solid or engineered oak flooring, period doors or cast iron radiators, fireplaces & stoves, we have it all ready to go. Our knowledgeable and friendly team is available to give advice on our freephone telephone number or alternatively you can use

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.