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!

I delighted, so pleased and would very highly recommend John at sofa craft…read more The workmanship is excellent absolutely perfect. I have new cushion pads on my two sofas and they feel and look like new. Also to remake seats for my antique wooden dining chairs and they look really classy. Very knowledgable excellent service second to none. We will definitely use again.

quick service a very polite gentleman who does a good job. he knows what he is doing and we can…read morerecommend him to do a good job

Now that The Pier has sadly left our little Welsh lives forever, Habitat is the next best thing for…read morehigh street home furnishings and furniture. This is a giant and unmissable store located in The Hayes in the centre of Cardiff, near to all the new glory of St. David's 2, yet still I speak to local people who don't seem to know where it is. I'm sure you'll be fine though; Yelp is populates by sensible people. Habitat is great for items such as picture frames, vases, cushions and candle holders, as well as larger items and items that you didn't even know existed before. But now you must have it. They go in for quite a modern style; combining sleekness and practicality with traditionalism and ethnic designs. If The Pier and Ikea had a lovechild, it would be called Habitat. My mother is now pointing out that habitat apparently came first (?), but I'm sure you know what I mean despite her confusing the issue. Although Habitat can be quite pricey, it's a great place to go for cheaper frames and small items. If you're ever stuck for a mother-in-law type of present, this would be a great start.

I'm a big fan of interior design, so I have a real soft spot for Habitat. This furniture here is…read moretrendy with a capital T, if you like traditional items this is not the store for you. The pieces available for purchase are incredibly modern, I recently purchased a glass desk from here, and it really has become a key feature in my office. I must admit the prices are rather high, but the uniqueness and quality of the furniture in my opinion really justifies this. On the cheaper side of things they do sell a wide variety of clip frames (both glass and Perspex), which are often on sale and great for art lovers.

Like most of the stores that have recently opened in Mumbles, I'm incredibly impressed with The…read moreMulberry Bush (what a fab name).

If I had a thousand pounds to decorate my room, I would come to Sense…read more Very contemporary, very chic, very nice! I couldn't help but feel a little in awe wandering round this shop, they have thought of just about everything from furniture, to decoration, lighting of every kind even garden accessories. At the moment they have some huge, and I do mean huge, cups and sauces outside which I assume you would plant a pretty plant in, though they looked way to good to put soil in if you ask me! As well as quite extravagant things they do have a good selection of affordable bits and pieces ideal from presents or to brighten up your room, like picture frames, fairy lights, and statement cushions! Not everything in here is to my taste, I think you will either love or hate some pieces but it's definitely work popping in on your way past.

"DO NOT ENTER if you have a dreary, grey, misty, Autumn outlook, as you may be distressed by the…read morecontents of this shop and might have convulsions". This sensory warning should be displayed prominently at the door of the excellent shop - 'Sense Clifton' - all bright and glittering, colourful pinks, blues and shiny metals. On the other hand, if you have a sparkling magpie persona, fine. Or if you just want to be shocked out of your November torpor, come to Sense for a quick fix. You dont have to buy anything, just browse and you'll fell much better. Though of course, the owners would also feel much better if you did buy something, so why disappoint - they will have done you a good turn. According to some blurb, Sense "...offers a smart mix of design-led products with a contemporary edge...". Apparently, the owners' frequent trips to Holland have given them a new perspective on design. They wanted to attack all the senses and create a complete home environment, everything from comfortable leather seating, exciting lighting and soft furnishings to unusual gifts. Pay a visit yourself, check it out, but take heed of the sensory warnings - highly recommended.

This is a beautiful little shop that is quite unexpected due to its slightly hideaway location and…read moremodest frontage. When you walk into Hamptons you know that you've found a little bubble of quality in Penarth. They sell a wide range of home, garden and gift ware. Ranging from bath bombs to tables and chairs. The space is decorated superbly, and is a pleasure to be in as you potter around. Their items for sale are all of a high quality, and have price tags to match, but you would get what you paid for at Hamptons. There is a great little cafe upstairs, The Blue Pelican Cafe (which I've also reviewed), so Hamptons is a lovely little place acting as getaway from the hustle and bustle of Windsor Road. However, this is not really the kind of place you could go and relax for hours at a time with a book. This is the kind of place where women take tea; take heed, and be careful not to break anything.

Wowee! This store sells the most beautiful items and as a big fan of interior design, I'm already…read moreplanning my next trip. What I particularly adore about this shop is that most of the pieces available are completely unique, and I haven't seen them available to purchase elsewhere. One word of warning though, avoid buying the birthday cards; at £6 they're far too pricey (there's nothing particularly special about them) and I guarantee the person you give one to will not appreciate it's value.

I love this store, so many lovely things for the home and lovely surprise bits of jewellery or a…read morelovely scarf, always something adorable

I normally don't get excited by lighting shops, as I've come to terms with the fact that I am and…read morealways be a lifetime home renter. But I will admit, Litecraft has an amazing range of lighting fixtures, with extras like dining room sets, cushions, and mirrors thrown into the mix. They carry your usual traditional bedside table lamps for about £15, but also offer Illuminati bright red cygnet chandelier with 12 lights for £999 (a bargain considering the original price was £2450). My favourite showroom piece was the Dali-esque, life-sized aluminium male torso or "table figure" as the tag explained, priced at £269. A close second was the majestic porter's chair in black that stretched to what looked like nine feet tall and embellished with faux diamond baubles. If I ever get any say over the lighting fixtures in my place of residence, I'm definitely coming here, as the varied selection has something for all tastes and budgets.

Although this store is a little bit tucked out of the way, and is nothing particularly special to…read morelook at from the outside, it's a diamond in the rough. Almost quite literally. There are some spectacular lights and fittings available, many of the usual stuff, but also some quite eccentric stock too. If yo would like a glowing ball of wire that lights up when you touch it, or a chandelier that looks more like a supernova, this is the place to come. They also have some more regular lights too, don't worry. The staff here are very friendly, and are quite obviously enthusiastic about their product, it's nice to see. And the prices are all remarkably reasonable, especially when such lights would make a key feature in any room they were in. They make all their own lights, and so you can be guaranteed to get something different a unique. Go and light up you life. Ha, see what I did there?

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!

Wyatt's Home and Garden is just around the corner from Flowers With A Twist and Over The Rainbow…read moreGifts, making this area a very attractive proposition to prospective gift buyers of discernment! It is a pretty little shop offering everything for the country style home and garden, particularly retro reproductions of time honoured favourites like roll top baths and iron bed frames. Yes, despite having limited floor space, it manages to pack in some pretty hefty items! Like Flowers With A Twist this is a relatively new business in the area. Jane, who also owns another shop of the same name in Ledbury, this one's predecessor, opened the Pontcanna branch about three years ago. (Jane wasn't about when I called in recently to take some pictures... that's Jan in the pictures!) During my recent visit I managed to keep my purse in my bag... I'm always overcome by an incredible urge to spend money when I walk into this shop, and could quite easily spend a small fortune! I love everything from the pretty floral doormats, as well as the multi-coloured wavy modern ones, to the garden furniture, crockery and kitchenware and the beautiful iron beds. They intersperse the retro reproductions with the genuine articles. A sign out front invites you to come in and browse, and makes the distinction between antiques and second-hand items, both of which they stock. They also offer an interior design service.

This is a relatively new addition to the shops in the Pontcanna area, and it's been a long time…read morecoming if you ask me! A home and garden shop is exactly the kind of thing that Pontcanna-ites are into, and this shop is flourishing. For anyone who is a fan of the traditional country home feel, this shop is a must, and offers an excellent range of homely items and gifts. A very tempting little place indeed. This is the kind of shop that does well because the products on sale turn a house into a home. With the classic type of resident in the area being arty, Welsh-speaking and middle class, I really am surprised that we've not seen something of this ilk sooner. Although I'm personally more of a fan of collecting items that are personal to you, rather than mass produced items which you are told are personal to you, I can certainly still see and understand the appeal of this shop.