If you adore all things French chic, then this is the place for you. I spotted the store when…read moredriving past one afternoon. I made a point to revisit French Accent later down the track. Eventually I returned and was inspired by the beautiful pieces displayed throughout the store. And then I looked at the prices...thousands of dollars for French drawers! I have since searched on eBay and found a more beautiful chest of drawers for only $100! French Accent is great if you have the money but of you don't then visit the store for some interior inspiration!

I love Exhibit. It's the perfect store in many ways. It's air-conditioned, it's next door to…read morePatisse (best cake shop ever), the store assistant is super lovely and most importantly it is filled to the brim with gorgeous and original pieces for your home. They do furniture, rugs, masks, lighting, ceramics, art, glassware, mirrors - a whole range of stuff which listing it seems to take something away from the beauty and exclusivity of them. I also like the fact that they stock a lot of local designers but also collect from overseas so the range in variety of product and taste is wide. The textiles from Africa, Australian artifacts, Egyptian crystal chandeliers and European ceramic pieces - it takes you to far away places without paying for the plane ticket out of here. Apart from filling your home with beautiful furnishings I find Exhibit is a good place to shop for wedding presents.

Firstly, let me point out that this store caters almost exclusively to middle-aged women…read more Secondly, let me draw your attention to the fact that I am not a middle-aged woman. Nevertheless, every few weeks I throw on a kaftan and a string of pearls and wander around Avenue Joffre because some of the stuff they've got in there is just so damn rad. I dig old, quirky, imported, *different* homewares and this place has a constant rotation of them. Like the old, paint-faded Indian doors for a cool two hunj (check out one of the photos). I don't know who their suppliers are - they could source from a Persian leper and I wouldn't much care - just as long as they keep slinging the quality that they have until now.

A bit of boho brought to Castlecrag! I love this place. The window displays are tantalizing with…read moretheir chaos of colour - always inspiring enough to draw me inside. This place has a bit of everything - lamps to bags, jewelry to cabinets but every piece has a bohemian inspired flair to it. I had my eyes on a beautiful set of bedside lamps - the bases so delicately painted with tiny flowers, the shades green - each $135. Sadly I went back today and they'd sold. Even still there is lots more in to compensate my loss but that's a lesson learned the hard way - if you see something here, don't hesitate!

Very cool design and gift store. Go here if you're looking for a quirky original gift and don't…read morehave much of a budget. The store itself I could spend hours going from one thing to the other imagining who to buy what for, where to put it or what to do with it. Things like: Guitar shaped fly swatters ($15.95) Bright red Dodo rocking bird ($425) Dingy Regatta mobile for baby ($72) Wild and Woolf Daisy flower design tool kit ($65) Colourful parrot shaped pegs ($38) I think the stuff I listed above says it all really. Worth a visit just for the fun of it.

I was so excited to find this shop. The Top 3 website is just packed with things that I am sure I…read moreneed, but I must be an old-fashioned tactile person, because I would much rather see and feel the real thing than buy from a picture. And of course, I do really NEED a guitar-shaped flyswat, a couple of bold coloured hanging pot plants that hook onto one another in a chain and a spiky red sake bomb. You think you don't? You obviously haven't been to Top 3 yet - the store or the website. Lots of the jewellery is irresistible too - costume stuff but very cool.

Found this antique home goods place in the Monocle travel guide for Sydney. I have high…read moreexpectations on furniture / decoration places and I didn't get disappointed here. Ici et la has beautiful old decoration objects from all over the world. From magical local shells to wooden and metal tables, chairs or lamp to handmade bags. Infact they have a seamstress in the store that creates blankets etc. with your initials. If I would live in Sydney, my interior design would be well influenced by this store.

I personally love Japanese culture, so I am really glad to have this store open up near us…read morerecently. Their art & craft supplies definitely come in handy for journalling/school work/work in general, and their stuff is much cheaper to get than the stationary/art supplies that can be found in Kmart. They have other things as well that aren't related to stationary/art. They also have imported Japanese food, homeware etc. You will definitely find something in this store that will cater to your needs/wants.

Can't - keep - away!! I'm so lured by Daiso and love immersing my self in the colors, products and…read moredifferent items for sale. Almost everything is $2.80. With so many aisles and categories from homeware and kitchenware to stationary, personal care and snacks, it's like a treasure hunt for the bargain hunter and a gold mine for the value lover. Worth a visit ... Hands down you'll buy something, will you ever use it? Probably not, but for $2.80 ... who cares!

If you love cute clothes for children, you can's go past Mini Pengiun.Owned by a lovely Chinese…read morelady, who has thousands on items, the store is a paradise of pretty little outfits for under fives. There's only one problem, what to pick becuase there's so much to choose from. I must admit there is an awful lot that I would not choose for my grandchildren becuase it's not to my taste but that still leaves a lot. The dresses are all frilly and lace, the sort of thing you would expect a doll to wear, the boys clothes are straight forward. Lots of colour but don't expect to see Fred Bare or Osh Kosh here. Mini Pemguin also has children's accessories.

Essential wonders - I love Bodhi books there are twice loved gifts, like watering cans that have…read morebeen created out of old oil large oil cans. The whole sustainable living drive is totally pushed in this shop and that's one of the signature statements of Newtown - hollistic and sustainable living. The range of music is fantastic, ever been curious as to where your yoga teacher finds her cool tracks from, well this is probably a good guess. They run meditation work shops here too, as the name suggests, Buddhism is an underlying theme to this shop. They are very ethical and privilege fair trade, evolution, art music and poetry.

This shop is definitely the source when it comes to Buddhist literature. And what I like is that…read morethe staff actually know their material. But what I really love is all the fabulous poetry and literature associated with the whole area of mediation and the schools of Buddhism. Of course the warm presence of the gifts that are ethically sourced - natural for a shop of this type.