Homesense has a real hotch potch (proper phrase?) of household furniture and items available to…read morebuy; from the extremely tacky to the rather tasteful you never quite know what you're going to find. I was particularly impressed by their bedding selection; they had duvets by brands such Cath Kidston and Designers Guild selling for around only £30, which is quite incredible (though absolutely infuriating for me as I've just spent a fortune on Designers Guild bedding from the brands website). Additionally they had a massive selection of photo frames, in wide range of varieties, in my opinion these would make great gifts for those it's trick to by for. I wasn't to keen on the actual furniture available in Homesense (mainly just small chairs). The quality just did not appear quite good enough, and many of the pieces looked rather tacky. I was surprised to find that they also sell a small range of specialty foods. Nothing to grand, mainly pasta, olive oil, and Italian biscuits, but they're brands that you won't find in your local supermarket. I've really only touched the tip of the ice berg, Homesense just sells so much! It rather reminds me of TK Maxx, you need time and patience, but you could come away with some real bargains!

Incredibly well hidden away, a real little treasure. Outside they sell very traditional garden…read morefurniture, such as bird baths, picnic tables, and a rather unusual garden shed. Inside the Potting shed sells many little household items and gifts which are pretty, practical, or a combination of both. I personally fell in love with the vintage ladybird learn to sew kits and little boys will love all the Beano goodies. I can't further express how easy it is to miss this place, If it hadn't been recommended it would have been so easy to miss. REALLY worth checking out, whether you live (it's worth the journey).

Went here a two weeks ago as a treat for my daughter who had been very unwell , we really enjoyed…read morelooking around the lovely things for sale but decided to go for a coffee and was very surprised at how unfriendly the staff were there wasn't one smile amongst them all despite me smiling at them i found them to be rude and unwelcoming and won't be going there ever again very disappointing indeed.

When living in the area we shopped here regularly, the owners and staff are extremely helpful,…read morefriendly and polite. They stock a massive range of items you can't find elsewhere We have been buying our Christmas trees here for many years, they are so reasonable and always lovely, we now travel from outside the area as they're that good! Highly recommended

You don't see many of these shops around nowadays with the advent of the big DIY chains. Worley's…read moreis a good old fashioned ironmongers who sells all your DIY needs as well as plants and gardening equipment. They are no more expensive than the big DIY shops and the staff are very informative and knowledgeable. You can buy pretty much anything here and you can also receive lots of expert knowledge about lots of aspects of household care, DIY etc. Support your local ironmonger, it would be a real shame if shops like these succombed to the big global giants.

Why has this only just opened? Why couldn't it have opened last year when I was looking for…read morefurniture and was forced to go to Ikea instead? I was convinced that City Road/Crwys Road were populated with second hand furniture stores when I moved into my new house, but I was clearly hallucinating. So, I was so pleased to find this store had opened, next to that most ethical supermarket, The Coop. The shop has a vast floor and has a wide variety of new and used furniture, electricals and general stuff for the home. Sofa's a-go-go - ranging in proce from really cheap (and look it) to really reasonable three piece suites, leather and modern funiture. There is bedroom furniture from brand new pine stuff to more 'retro' good as well as a vast array of TVs from £10! We may not be talking plasma, wide screen HD TV here, but good enough for a games console or student bedroom to keep up to date with Corrie. Most pleasing was the appearance of reasonably priced and reasonable condition 1930s furniture including sideboards, wardrobes and dressing tables. When looking for this stuff before I was reduced to online and pseudo 'antique' shops which charged an arm and a leg. If you're a student, moving into your first house or generally want a slightly more retro look to your home then please check this shop out first before hitting the obvious!

Moving into a new place is an arduous process. You've got bills to worry about, bank accounts to…read morecontact and drain dry, boxes to move and people to buy beer and pizza for, parties to plan... Moving into an unfurnished place is even worse. Especially if you're of the studenty bent. Not only do you have all the previous issues to deal with, you've also got to source new furniture, gather funds to pay for said furniture, or buy and eat enough pizza to build furniture from the leftover boxes. You may think I'm joking about that last one. I'm not. I've seen it done. Wasn't comfy, but what you lacked in comfort you more than made up for in lots and lots of pizza. Here's where BHS steps in. Their second hand furniture and electrical store lets you furnish a house cheaply, and on top of that, you know your money is going to a good place, which appeals to all those kind-hearted students, and the cynical gits who are trying to hope on the good foot and do the bad thing with said kind-hearted students.

A truly enormous garden centre on the eastern outskirts of Cardiff, conveniently situated adjacent…read moreto junction 29 of the A48M where it meets the old A48 Newport Road. It's a popular shopping destination in its own right, and is actually part of the large UK-wide Wyevale chain. As well as an enormous range of plants, seeds, gardening tools and gardening supplies, it sells all sorts of gardening-related merchandise, such as garden buildings, garden furniture, pet supplies, books, ornaments, greeting cards, toys, clothing etc. Their prices aren't the cheapest, but it's all in one place and the quality is not bad (and it is getting very hard to find independent high-quality traditional nurseries, these days). Many of the staff are not that expert in the plants, though - certainly not compared with the horticultural or botanical expertise that resides in parts of the British gardening fraternity. That said, they always seem to be pretty friendly and willing to help, and the whole experience is rather less intimidating than it can be in some traditional nurseries. For those living in hope of a dry summer, there is an extensive range of barbecues and barbecue supplies. (Note: worth getting in stocks of charcoal, as there is always a run on supplies at the first sign of Bank Holiday sun). They also have a hire service for a very extensive range of garden and building machinery, if buying your own rotovator or mini-digger seems something of an indulgence. Perfect for the would-be 'Bob the Builder' (or 'Bob y Bildar'). There's a decent sized cafe, which is quite pleasant outside the week-end peak times, although there's no escaping the warehouse 'architecture'. It's very popular with pensioners during the week. At week-ends, the whole place is packed by families on an afternoon out, which makes for a slightly more stressful shopping experience. The centre has toilets and is designed to be accessible for wheel-chair users. The Wyevale website is quite interesting for the novice gardener, with a 'plant finder' facility, which tells you what you can grow in the soil and aspect of your garden.

Blooms is a massive garden centre that's easy to get to from either Cardiff or Newport, with…read morehelpful staff (though not all of them perhaps 'experts') and a huge array of plants, garden furniture and ornaments, and gardening tools and accessories. The centre is also home to a decent little book shop and a café, and it sells jewellery, clothes, pet-related products, farm-style foods and even fresh Welsh meat, jams and chutneys! Blooms even offer an equipment hire service, so you can hire garden and building machinery rather than go out and buy it if you only need it for a one-off occasion. Some of the stock can be a bit on the expensive side, but I think most big nurseries are the same, and at least you can browse around lots of different departments under one roof here.

Home Zone is all about interior design for the kind of person that knows what they are looking for,…read moreand doesn't need to leave it all to a designer, (although I bet that interior designers use Home Zone just as much as we do, for both inspiration and ideas, as well as purchasing their products and services). Home Zone have only been around for five years, but have established themselves really quickly, and are generally considered to offer us a benchmark of what is both tasteful and innovative. In addition, Directors Jayne Bishop and Sean Kerr offer a full and attentive service, which has also gone a long way to augment their standing. Specialising in made to measure curtains and soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, and tracking with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, they draw on their combined 40 years of experience, which puts them in the enviable position of being able to work with trusted people that they have had regular dealings with over the years. These days they have a dedicated, highly experienced team of sewers, upholsterers and fitters who work alongside them, as well as a network of crafts people who can be commissioned to make accessories when required. Some of the beautiful things that the crafts people make are amazing, and prove that everything is possible! Using every material imaginable, and every technique available, they are able to produce practically anything you could dream of for the house and home. Home Zone can do conventional as easy as falling off a log, but where they excel is when they are pushing creative boundaries and coming up with unique solutions for clients that have a real appreciation of what is possible.

From the owner: We are a small, local, team of specialist curtain makers, upholsterers and fitters and we offer a…read morefabulous service, providing you with made to measure soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, shutters and tracking along with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, to make the whole process a bit easier for you!

Great little bargain store! I love the repurposing of an old church instead of removal. (Sure it's…read morea bit 'musty,' but I think it adds to the character!) The products are a bit 'cheap,' but I've found everything to be quite reliable for a recent move-in; a few plant pots and compost, a large cooking pot, broom, etc. The prices are fair and the employees are very pleasant!

Do not go to this shop. The quality of items is horrific and there were birds flying around the…read moreplace. Then, a group of young children were falsely accused of stealing. They were forced to empty their pockets and were embarrassed in front of the whole shop. The security guard did not apologize and was extremely mean. Dirty place and mean staff. It's a no from me. -Sharon

Pontcanna Flea Market is the real deal. You are guaranteed to find a really good selection of…read morequality Kitsch, both for the home and garden, as well as loads of classic and retro clothing, antiques, electrical goods, records, books, and furniture... essentially all the kind of stuff that you'd expect at a flea market, but with the added bonus of this one being a particularly good one. I don't know where the traders get their stock from, but some of them must have an incredible address book! A lot of them seemingly have endless access to the most incredibly desirable objects. Their lives must be heavenly! I considered becoming a trader myself a few years back, but decided that it would be an overtly dangerous career choice. I'd be great at scouting out my stock, and have fairly well tuned haggling skills. So far, so good! But, the problems would arise when it came to selling any of it on. I know I'd want to keep everything! Those confounded attachment issues! They also hold regular auctions at the King's Road site. I've not been to one, but I hear that they are as much fun as the flea markets, and just as well stocked with eminently buyable stuff.

Sometimes I feel as though I'm a little bit of a fraud, going into places like this. Next time you…read morego to one, just stand at the side and watch the people who go in and out. You'll see people carrying trees, people in pairs to carry long bits of wood, people struggling with large containers. And all I wanted was a pot plant. Nevertheless, despite my shame, I continued about my business and I came across a little chilli bush which seemed just the perfect thing to have in my room. Taking it to the till, I continued to feel embarrassed by my meagre offering to the home and garden gods, until I noticed that I was one of very few people NOT huffing and puffing. Then I just felt smug. Anyway, good service, good prices, good products.

This B & Q, although slightly smaller than a lot of others in the same region, has a good selection…read moreof plants and outdoor furniture.

This is the absolute best customer service I've ever experienced! Had a very difficult diy project,…read moreneeding a lot of lumber, and James, and several employees helped us through finding what we needed and arranging efficient transportation. Will definitely be revisiting this store!!