The name of this store is fairly self explanatory. It's quite an impressive shop for the moderate…read morespace, packed from floor to ceiling with anything and everything an office might need. Pens, aesthetically pleasing items for desk organisation, numerous methods for filing, paper, notebooks, even some furniture including desks, chairs and filing cabinets. The staff were attentive and friendly; more than one offered to help me. I would venture to say that this store could fulfil any needs you may have just as well as the giant office supply chains can. I am not really in the market for any office items, but I was interested in their daily planners. I know most people have graduated from the paper version of these helpful tools, preferring the electronic mode provided by that occasionally frustrating piece of technology they call a smart phone. I still find actually writing things on paper with a pen the best way to organise myself, so I spent some time browsing their planners. They had a great range of these, from tiny ones in various shades of the rainbow that cost less than $5 to the more traditional large black variety. I like to put a great deal of thought into choosing my yearly planner, somehow linking it with how successful my year will be, so I didn't make a purchase but this shop is on my shortlist for providing me with this oh-so-important item for 2012.

I'm a bit of a stationery junkie - love the pens, fancy paper, cardboards... I've been going to…read morethis store for years and have had the happy and sad business of selecting stationery for parties, and funerals, from here. They have a really tasteful range of paper and envelopes and a good range of pens, diaries and office gear.

For a stationery addict like myself, kikki.K is a dangerous place. Their wares can be a tad on the…read morepricey side, but they often have sale items (I got 3-for-2 lists/planners today, nngh so good) and if you're a "strong of will" sort - or can get someone to hold your wallet - then even window-shopping in kikki.K can be a delight. The stores are always clean and bright and well laid-out, and the new Carindale store is no exception. kikki.K is one of the stores that should have been a part of Westfield Carindale ages ago, so thank goodness for the additional space in the new section. The staff are a delight, very helpful and friendly; I had a great chat with the girl who ended up serving me today. kikki.K's more than just stationery - they're gung-ho about organisation, to the point where you can attend workshops and consultations related to organising your life. Uh, I'm interested, but I'm all out of cash - do they barter?

Kikki.K and I are not friends. Something about the way they compartmentalise life into neat,…read morematching boxes doesn't sit well with me. It could also be that I find their creamy pink, blue and yellow colour scheme insipid. A lot of my friends like this shop and think I'm irrational and crazy. It all comes down to personal taste but I've never been tempted to buy anything useful or pretty from Kikki.K - not even as a gift for someone else. Their diaries, calendars, stamps, clips and photo albums are products I associate with aspiring domestic goddesses, unrealistic, neat homes and housewives and house husbands obsessed with cleanliness. I do appreciate though that a lot of people like their designs and it's definitely worth checking out their store despite the rants of one possibly crazy and irrational person like me.

Not just another office organising shop, this one is Swedish. I judged this place the first time I…read moreentered the store because the first thing I picked up, this organiser it's price tag rang high and true to the tune of $175.00. I pretty much walked straight out of the store right then and there, swearing to myself I would never go back in. Ridiculous. I walked past again a month later and they had pretty pink binders with polka dots, I curiously checked the price tag, and it was $39.95, a far cry from the $1 ring binders you can buy from Big W, but it wasn't over $100 so that was a step in the right direction I guess... there was a sale as well? I didn't end up buying the binder, I'm not too sure how I could justify the cost of a haircut to a cardboard binder with 3 metal rings. But, having said that, the things in this shop are very pretty, pretty enough for me to walk in twice. It's worth a look-into or a look through a window.

EXCELLENT staff!! Michael is super helpful and his product…read moreknowledge makes choosing electronic items a breeze. I drive well over an hour just to shop from this store with this staff!

Great store. The staff is incredible nice and they are always ready to help. If they don't have an…read moreitem they will stay with you until they find one for you. Prices are great and there in store specials are the best. I wish they had VIP customer service to let me know when they have in store specials on but otherwise a 5 star.

Great products and customer service. They were very prompt on emails and with dispatched my order…read morein a timely matter. Would order again.

I get the heebie geebies when I go into Oxlades Art Centre. I can almost guarantee that if I leave…read moreempty handed (a rarity), I will at least leave Oxlades with the curiosity and inspiration to propel myself into some mysterious artistic tangent that I've stumbled upon while being there. Trawling their three small aisles full of art bounty, I am constantly surprised at what I find in there. You've got a truckload of different pens, pencils, charcoal, graphite, crayons, chalk and paints in there to choose from of course. These are art store staples. On the note of painting: painters will be interested to know that Oxlades sell a big range of canvas (just enquire at the desk rather than whipping out the pocket knife and going for it yourself). Back to browsing. It becomes more interesting when you move into sculpting territory. They've got bulk wax, plaster, resin, and all sorts of sculpting things that I don't know the name or nature of. There's also a wide range of supplies available to print makers and those into etching. Glorious art stuffs be mine! If you become inspired by some unidentifiable medium or material, ask the staff at the counter. They are extremely knowledgable and helpful. They also have a small book collection on different art practices if you want to just sit down with a book and teach yourself through wild experimentations. Go on: I dare you to go in there and get curious. Start playing!

This shop is a treasure! Its location in the beautiful Brisbane Arcade is a perfect match to the…read moretimeless essence of the shop. Such wonderful range of penmanship implements and desk accessories is hard for find these days. Many items are made in Switzerland, Germany, Japan and other countries renowned for their tradition of craftsmanship and quality. The Pen Shoppe is a must-to-visit for anyone interested in handwriting, drawing or calligraphy. It is also a perfect spot for finding quality gifts.

In the modern age, when everything is now, it's refreshing to step back and to visit a store where…read morethe products are dedicated to a more genteel era. A place where the written form is king. Where fine quality writing instruments and paper reign supreme over electronica, where service is still observed. Come here for writing instruments from brands such as Mont Blanc, Waterman, Cross, Parker - amongst others; notepads from Rhodia, Moleskine can also be found in stock too.

If Alice of Wonderland fame had fallen down the rabbit hole into this place, she never would have…read moregotten out. The store is a maze of aisles with seemingly no order at all. Paths between merchandise veer off unexpectedly, making it a bit of a 'choose your own adventure' type experience. You never know what you'll find but if you go the wrong way you'll struggle to find your way back. When I entered the store I expected something like Bunnings (probably the only hardware store I've ever been to) with its lofty ceilings and manicured aisles. I was surprised at the low-ceilinged but deceptively large shop that greeted me. Apart from the ceiling height difference, this place sold everything any other hardware store does. Each section also had its own information desk, with a staff member waiting patiently for customers with queries. I kept arriving at 'clearings' to find an eager shop assistant gazing anxiously at me as I tried to back away while maintaining eye contact. The odd mix of charming, maze-like layout, head ducking and exceptional customer service combine to make this a place I would highly recommend.

Before entering Paddington Hardware, maybe give everyone in your group an air horn or just tether…read moreyour group together, because you will get lost in this giant warehouse of aisles. On the other hand, I don't mind getting lost in here. It made me remember that hardware stores don't have to be boring. After visiting Mitre 10 and its peers back in the day as a little girl with my father, this is a positive mansion of hardware needs. At first indifferent, I wandered absent-mindedly amongst rows of containers of different types of screws, and I was reminded of my father's workshop. When I was little, Dad's workshop (attached to the house) was out-of-bounds for kids. Of course this meant I snuck in there as often as possible. I used to ooh and ahh over the smell of cut wood, the jars of different sized nails and screws, curly wood shavings on the floor. It felt like being in Santa's workshop. And it also felt like this here. Now, Paddington Hardware isn't Santa's workshop - that I'm aware of. For all I know he could be stuffed in the back, pumping out dinner tables amongst a group of singing elves. The store's that big. I'm somehow sounding sentimental about a hardware store. In spite of its size, though, the staff are so friendly that it contributes to the happy-wonder vibe of the place. From a stock perspective, the scope of hardware is so extensive that I think most handymen would find what they wanted here. As an aside, I came to Paddington Hardware to buy a shower curtain because I was moving out of my rental property and they wanted it replaced. Shower curtains are sneakily expensive. However, Paddington Hardware was the only place in Paddington I could find a shower curtain. It was a damn nice curtain, so I hope the new tenants enjoyed it. A word about parking here: there is on-site parking, but since Paddington Hardware is sandwiched between boutiques and restaurants, it was once packed with cars from non-patrons. However, there is a strict Hardware Parking Only sign on site, and increased security on this front means that legitimate Hardware store customers should be able to find a spot.

Buying a voucher for a business from one of those deal-a-day sites always tends to be done with…read moretrepidation. There's always a chance it is going to be a less than glowing experience. Thankfully, this wasn't the case when I purchased a $49 (for $200 value) voucher for Art Land. I'd purchased a print on my travels and it just wasn't a size that lent itself to a buy-off-the-shelf frame. I'd gotten many quotes in the couple of hundreds so has expected that I may need to pay somewhat more than the voucher amount. I was never made feel less of a customer because of the voucher and the staff took me through multiple framing options. In the end I decided on a simple black frame and paid a little more. They gave me a date it would be ready (2 weeks lead time. I wasn't in a rush so it suited me fine) and to the day they called to say it was ready. It was such a seamless transaction and I'd go back for any framing needs I have in the future.

When my sister brought me back a beautiful batik of a woman serenading some cows from Sri Lanka I…read morewanted nothing more than to have it hanging on my wall. Something so beautiful (my description does not do it justice but have a look at the picture) deserved to be framed. Now I shopped around a little for quotes because picture framing is not cheap and I suspected framing a cloth batik would take quite a bit of time, skill, and money. Walking into Art Land in Indooropilly I was impressed by the classy furniture and decour available for sale and the staff were very attentive and said hello and that they would be with me soon despite being already with a customer. I did not have to wait long until one was free to help me. I went through the process of choosing a frame or two that I liked and the customer service girl even went and got the framer to give advice since what I wanted was a little out of the ordinary. I did not want to cover up my batik with glass, instead opting for getting it stretched on a board and framed. I wanted it to stay tactile in a way and they were happy to help me with this. IN the end I got a very reasonable quote and went ahead with the framing. It was ready to pick up in two weeks and I am very very happy with the result and the whole process at Art Land.