I walked in and Bon Iver was playing, clearly my shopping spree was meant to be…read more Paddington feels like a Parisienne arrondissement, and The Vignette Room would fit right into Montmartre. A curated shop of bespoke homewares, scented candles, pillows, throws, kitchen accessories, and bar knick knacks. I was sort of in a daze (I had been to Bon Iver's concert the night before) and my aimless wandering led me to discover they had Kip & Co linen sheets! A brand I had been trying to get my mittens on for a while, winter was coming** - so I bought a beautiful crushed blue quilt cover to cocoon myself in bed. The lady working was so lovely and helpful, and we had a rather loud squealing moment when we realised we had BOTH BEEN TO THE SAME CONCERT. I did skip out of the shop, but not sadly into the arms of Justin Vernon because... well, he probably doesn't shop for homewares. ** If you get the pun, we are truly meant to be friends.

Not your average, cookie cutter homeware/interiors store. This gorgeous terrace in Paddington is…read morefull to over flowing with eccentric, unique, bespoke pieces of homeware, pillows, candles, brassware .... man it's full of very interesting, collectable stuff, and the service is first class.

Domo Collections is one of Paddington's high end home wares stores. I love these shops they are the…read moreheight of style and expense. I can't really afford anything in them and I don't own a home to put anything they offer, but none the less it is fun to pretend. My favourite thing in Domo is their furniture, they sell the most amazing lounge suites, many of them other quite other worldly, I can picture a sophisticated, well dressed alien reclining on this kind of furniture. I would describe the lounge designs but they are so unique and innovative I honestly don't know how. They have the coolest display cabinet I have ever seen, consisting of uneven lopsided cubes it again follows the futuristic style they offer, yet it somehow does not seem over the top. This is such a great shop, if you have the budget it is must see.

Have you ever wanted a remote control robot, or mustache-shaped cookie cutters, or scrabble tile…read morerefrigerator magnets and not been sure where to source such fabulous items. OOOOOOH man, do I have the store for you! Opus is a haven for everything fun and whimsical for your home or office. They have a spectacular toy section with something to make anyone grin from shoulder to shoulder. From stationary, to crockery, I dare you to stop in here and NOT find something for yourself or a friend. How do you feel about a mouse pad that looks like a mini rug? How about a reusable lunchbox in the shape of a giraffe's face? If there was such thing as death by cuteness, this store would be wise to line the back with hospital beds and IVs. Nurse, stand by... she's just spotted the teacups.

Oh, I love this store. It's so much fun. It's like a toy store for adults... (actually rereading…read morethat it sounds wrong).... well think more along the lines of fun awesome prezzies you want to give your friends for their birthdays - because your gift reflects positively on you. Opus is situated on the top half of Oxford street and contains a wonderful array of books, cards, homewares and novelty items. It's all quite classy so even if you're getting a "Captain Ketchup" ($12.95) squirt your tomato sauce gun, its designed so beautifully your house will look better for it. Prices vary as they have a mix of chic and cher. Whatever your budget you're guaranteed to find something you like in this shop. There is a HUGE range - many colours with many different options. I always stop by this store to find something special for my friends. The stores been around since 1968 and I sincerely believe all those years of finessing purchasing has paid off. Friends, if you want to buy me a birthday present - I can recommend anything here....as for everyone else - I promise you, discovering this store is my gift to you....

I like the store as well as the amount of things, i got a pillow from muji and it was very soft but…read morethe music was just silent night being repeated over and over again and it didn't really fit the store

MUJI is a Japanese department store chain known for its minimalist design products. The flagship…read morestore in Sydney located at The Galeries is relatively new as it only opened last year. It is currently the largest MUJI in Australia based on store size. This chain has been described as the IKEA of Japan, which is not that accurate. The design element is similar and the store does offer large furniture and home items. But the store offers an array of items not found at IKEA including beauty products, luggage, men's and women's clothing, stationery and travel accessories. Though the selection is not as extensive as the stores in Asia as there isn't a food area, aside from a selection of bottled teas. I am particular fond of the snacks that MUJI sells at their airport locations at Hong Kong and Narita Airport, so it was disappointing to see that this store doesn't carry that line. I visited the store twice on my trip to Australia. I checked out their men's clothing area and found the pricing to be reasonable. Plus the minimalist design is appealing if you don't like any logos on your clothing. The regular prices here seemed higher than Uniqlo, but they do have good markdowns on their clearance items. In fact, I picked a casual short sleeve shirt for under $10. On the day before I was flying back to the US, I visited the store to make my return trip more comforting. I wasn't looking forward to the 14 hour flight to LA, so I returned to pick up a travel pillow here as MUJI is known for this offering. I decided to get a neck cushion. While it didn't help me to get much sleep on the plane, it provided good support and prevented neck strain. The cushion is not as bulky as other pillows, so it fits comfortably in your backpack and doesn't take up a lot of room. If you are a fan of simply designed and well made products, MUJI is a great place to shop. And for travelers looking to make their journey a little more comfortable, it is worth checking out the travel accessories offered here. Particularly if you are taking a long-haul flight.

I thoroughly enjoyed perusing this funky gift shop, it made a nice break from all the generic…read moreWestfield shops one tends to find in Bondi Junction. There are some fun, quirky and kitsch products and it is a good store to browse if you are in need of gift ideas. I quite liked all the cutsey home wares like the skeleton gingerbread men cookie cutters and the old style princess telephones. However I have seen many of the products in other gift shops before so maybe in need of a few more unique items. The store was set out very neatly and all the stock was quite accessible to pick up and touch, nothing was hiding or obscured from view. Everything was quite reasonably priced too. The staff were friendly enough to exchange pleasantries but were more interested in talking to each other than paying attention to the person at the counter.

Hart and Heim is such a cool shop, these kinds of shops are so great as they exude imagination and…read moreinnovation. Set up the top Bondi Junction Westfield they are in amongst a few other shops selling unique home- ware. These shops are perfect for buying presents as not only will you be able to give gifts that the recipient does not have, but they will not have imagined such a thing has even been created. Believe it or not they have a Combie tent, yes a tent, which is formed to replicate a 1960's Combie van, how jealous would the other campers be of you. Also another super cool item is Pacman & Ghost Monsters (the ones who chase Pacman around) mint containers (although I am guessing they are not necessarily intended for mints). They have bird song alarm clocks and the cutest brightly coloured grenades you will ever see - they are chew toys for dogs. There is no limit to the imagination at Heart and Heim, go there, be inspired.

Set inside a historic arcade, The Bay Tree is one of those places you walk by and think 'oooohh'…read more The splashes of colour are enough to draw you inside and if you're a secret Suzie homemaker like me you'll be delighted by what you find. Cookwear, homeware, linen, glasswear, gifts and cards are packed into the grand old hallway. Most of the stock is on the overpriced side but I picked up a beautiful apron for $19.95. Admittedly it's a bit kitsch but I can't wait to wear it!

An iconic kitchenware store that is known as one of the best cookware stores in all of Sydney, The…read moreBay Tree can meet all your kitchenware needs and more. They have the best collection of bakeware, barware, dinnerware, and even home ware items that will have you wishing you could buy them all. Aside from their wide and high quality selection, you can be assured that their staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They are quick to assist and give you advice on what items are essential to complete your kitchen. From glassware to square ice cream scoops, The Bay Tree has it all. If you're creating a new kitchen or looking for a store to place your wedding registry, The Bay Tree is highly recommended.