With rows of tawny-coloured tenements, massive student population, a surfeit of artsy cafés and…read moreindependent grocery stores, Marchmont's vibe falls somewhere between bohemian and genteel. It's bordered by the Meadows on one side, and the wealthy mansions of the Grange on the other, and has its own character as a fairly sleepy residential neighbourhood, disturbed only by the occasional blaring music of student flat parties. When I lived here, I loved its smallness, and the village-like quality - the fact that, whenever I left my flat, I'd meet someone I knew, and could survive for days at a time without ever venturing across the Meadows, getting all I needed from the cornershop, having a pint in the Argyle down the road, renting DVDs from Alphabet, and generally shying away from the outside world. Now that I've moved away, I feel slightly relieved to have escaped this insular community. Still, I'll always have a soft spot for Marchmont's leafy streets and turreted tenements.

Marchmont Hardware is a great handy business in Marchmont which provides a good range of cooking…read moreutensils, tools and even mini vacuum cleaners for hoovering up crumbs on the tabletop - an amazing invention. The guys who run it are pleasant, helpful and offer to find any products which they don't have in stock or recommend where you might find them. My only criticism is that some of the things which they sell are a bit gimmicky and pointless. For example, they were displaying an electronic rotating ice cream cone! Does that appeal to anyone? Possibly, but I can't help but feel that they'd benefit from specialising in stuff which people actually need. Nevertheless, Marchmont Hardware offers top service and a great range of products at good prices.

Good hardware stores are a rare breed these days. Good hardware stores that sell a range as…read moreextensive as Houseproud of Morningside are like dodo eggs. From compost to pans, screwdrivers to bird tables they have it all. Split into two parts, the left hand side sells all the things you'd expect to find in a hardware store and more. They have a nifty garden section, selling pots, trowels, compost, bird tables among other things. They also have the usual range of tools, light bulbs. All the things you'll ever need. The right hand side is dedicated to kitchen products, and they have a huge range. I bought myself a hand blender from there which, at £20, was a little on the expensive side but not too overpriced. Given this place is an independent shop in an affluent area of Edinburgh you can expect to pay a little more than you would in a major chain. However, the staff are engaging and helpful and the plethora of products makes it worth a visit next time you run out of tea towels.

I have always found that good DIY stores, outside of the major chains, are hard to find in…read moreEdinburgh. Houseproud of Morningside are the exception to this rule. Situated on Morningside Road in a visible on-road location, they stand head and shoulders above all others I have tried in the city. As DIY shops go, they stock pretty much everything you would expect to find. From paints to Polyfilla, screwdrivers to sandpaper, they cover all the bases. I've visited this store on two occasions. Firstly, I went to pick up some expanding foam to fill in mouse holes in the flat. Not knowing exactly what I was looking for, I asked the assistance of a member of staff. He helpfully pointed out to me all of the different things they offered, showing a range of prices and uses. He helped me to find the product that was ideal for what I needed it for, and didn't automatically go for the hard sell on the most expensive. The second occasion was to buy a bradawl - something that is like a screwdriver, but has a point on the end rather than a screw head. Whilst this time I didn't need help finding it, the shop assistant at the counter still engaged me in some light-hearted chat whilst I was paying. It's these sort of things that I really appreciate in a small shop like this. They don't view customers as more money for the tills, but engage with you as a person. I will definitely be using this place again, as it saves a trip out of town to one of the larger chain stores. This shop is a must for all your Morningside DIY needs!

As I approached this store, it seemed to me from the window display, that this was yet another…read morehardware shop which stocked everything you could want in a DIY shop and more on top of that! And when I entered Boyds, I was not wrong! The isles are quite narrow to allow the shop to stock so much. From Irons, to clocks, to DIY tools to garden equipment this shop had it all! Indeed, I could not count the amount of irons that this place stocked. Whilst I was pondering in side this shop I noticed that this shop seemed popular with the locals, with the door constantly swinging open and closing. A reason for that is that it is located in the centre of the town and does not mean that the locals have to travel to a big supermarket! The shop is slightly dated, but does have up-to-date products and the shop did have some good offers! A good local Hardware Shop!

Very good range of DIY products, paints, tools, hardware, plumbing, electrics, insulation boards,…read moretimber sheets, power tools, joinery items, kitchens and bathrooms appliances, etc. Staff is always available for advice. Prices are reasonable and Wickes own brand products are cheaper than its high street names counterparts. Will certainly go back!

Lots of DIY equipment, gardening, bathroom area, floors, tools, all sorts of stuff. Very helpful…read morestaff, Parking for loading vans just outside the entrance, plenty of car parking spaces. Long hours open! Give it a go!

Everyone says that Stockbridge is like a little village within the city and if ever there were a…read moreshop to back that up - this would be it. This humble little shop isn't big, it isn't fancy, they don't carry more than one brand of anything. But when a frazzled 30 year old blows in waving a broken light fixture with no idea where to start, a old man in an apron pops out of the back room and saves the day. It's like walking into a hardware store from the 50's... I feel required to wear my hair in pin curls when i'm here. Does it look a little ramshackled? Yup. Did they have everything I was looking for? Nope (apparently I seek a very rare nail to complete this project). But did I walk out with enough to get my darn light back up and working? Yes.. yes I did. This isn't going to be your go-to for big projects and if you don't live in the area, you're probably never going to need to pop in here. But if you do live in the neighbourhood, this is a good local option for last minute handy needs like duct tape, electrical wiring and stubborn light fixtures. Cash only. Pin curls optional.

The shopkeeper at this store is unpleasant and rude. I have never written a Yelp review before, but…read morethis place is depressing and bad. I bought a pair of pliers, and just after walking out of the store, I had a closer inspection, they were not the right one. I asked for a return. His response- "what do you want me to do about it, own up to your decisions". My friend had a bad experience there too.

A & A Traders is one of a number of shops in Edinburgh which seems to sell almost anything you need…read morefor you home! The shop is crammed full of home ware goods and gardening items. This shop reminded me of the Edinburgh Bargain Store in Newington, however, this shop is smaller and seems to be struggling to modernise itself. Now, don't get me wrong, these kinds of shops are very handy to have in the city if you don't want to travel to a retail park to visit a Homebase or B & Q. However, just along Easter Road there is a B & Q, so you would most likely get what you need there than from this shop. With just looking at the window display you can tell this shop is stuck in time. It advertises that it sells Video Tapes and its windows are full of clutter that no one is really going to need to buy (Including that dodgy yellow coloured kettle). Not the best home ware shop I have been in to, there are many other similar shops which are better, but this shop is still a handy place to buy that odd item you need!

This is a shop selling cookware, electrical goods and a bit more thrown in for luck It's well…read morestocked and holds a good range so you can choose between a few models and makes for each item. The prices here are also very good so if you do have a flat or house that needs furnishing it is worth going out of your way to come here - you rarely see such good value for money. As a shop it's hard to fault; they offer a large range of models at reasonable prices selling almost everything you might need.

Dropped in a couple of minutes before closing time on a Friday afternoon, half expecting doors to…read morebe closed or at best a cold reception. To my surprise I was given a warm welcome by staff who then proved to be extremely helpful in finding exactly what I was looking for. Staff members and the service they provided a fine example of a rapidly dying art - where customer satisfaction is everything.

Needed a single nut for a sink stopper. The guy in the shop spent time with me finding the nut I…read moreneeded and didn't change me. Super friendly and helpful. Anything I need in the future I'm headed to Edina.

I swear to gosh, this shopping complex is like the land customer service has forgotten!…read more Ok, first thing you should understand: it hurts me not to give this a four star or above. I LOVE homeware stores - between my constant DIY projects and frequent, spontaneous need to repaint walls in my house, I was tickled pink to find a paint shop/homewares store closer to the house. Plus, I quite enjoy the Habitat stuff... sure it's a little knock off hipstery but the prices are far better than real hipstery items and I really like how darn cheerful the throw pillows are. All the makings of a solid four star review... except... The two times I've been here so far, the service has been dreadful. Besides one very lovely lady in the curtain section (thank you!), it's even bordered on rude. I'm not sure if I have to up my adulting game and wear high heels to look less like a 12 year old when shopping for home supplies, because I apparently do not look like someone who would spend money on things. This is mainly down to an interaction in the Habitat section: I've been trying to find an interesting bookshelf to host my ever growing library and one caught my eye in this section. It had a cute little matching desk/storage, which happens to be #2 on my "to buy" list. The gal in the section was helping another lady at the time, so I waited for my turn. When she finished with the other lady (who was quite a bit older and very well dressed), she turned to where I had been standing for the last five minutes, looked me straight in the eye... and walked away. I was so perplexed that it would have been funny, had it not been irritating as all heck. What does one do in that situation? Run after them? Call out? I understand she may have been going on break but it would have taken all of 15 seconds to acknowledge me and call someone else over. Needless to say, I did NOT buy the bookcase and left with a sour taste in my mouth. So, I will continue to come here because of my need to paint things pretty colours, but this spot isn't taking a #serviceninja stamp any time soon...

Had most tremendous help and knowledge from a chap called Marc Cole about 2weeks ago. Just new in…read morehis job and a knowledge of joinery. I appreciated do much his ability to envision what I was trying to build. A raised garden bed. Can't recommend him enough. All the staff were lovely at the Blackhall homebase. Thankyou.