Generally, I am a big fan of homeware stores. Even if I do not buy anything, I enjoy looking around…read moreat the array of decorations. While Anew is good, it seemed to lack something special. Sure, they have the white wooden words and cute piggy banks that I have seen but they also have plastic tigers and tacky dolphin lamps. Perhaps it is just not my particular style overall. There are a few good buys, particularly some kitchen utensils and bits and pieces that I thought would come in handy and that are inexpensive. They have some nice clocks too.

Usually homewares stores are so beautiful; beautifully decorated and full of beautiful things. This…read moreone is somewhat of an exception. While it's always fun roaming through these stores pondering how certain things would look on your own mantelpiece, this one provides a little less scope for imagination of such fantasies than others. While half the products in the store are nice, the other half look quite tacky. The plus side is it's a little cheaper than a lot of homewares stores, although my judgement tells me it's because quality is sometimes compromised a little.

Loot has to be one of my favourite homeware stores. It has an exotic feel, with imported and local…read moreproducts and is a bit artsy with really unique prints, canvases and greeting cards. They have some beautiful decorations for every room in your house like clocks, candles, ornaments and paintings, plus a great range of gifts for different occasions. There are colours and different scents and textures when you walk in and I never know quite where to start or what to look at first. Fortunately, whoever designed the store obviously planned for this because without realising it, there is a very obviously laid out pathway around the store to follow as you look from one display to the next. There are a few different styles, many of them Asian or Indonesian influenced and a light beach or summer feel.

Those who are fans of owls will instantly fall in love with this shop - it's filled with decorative…read moreowls of all shapes and sizes. And it's not even an aviary. This place stocks lots of gifts and present ideas as well as home decorations. There are the usual suspects - women and men's jewellery, birthday cards, wrapping paper, ornaments and teddy bears for the kiddies. The staff are lovely - we were instantly greeted and asked if we were in need of any assistance (pretty rare in most places). Worth popping into if you're in need of a birthday present.

I'm a staunch believer in compartmentalisation. I even compartmentalise my vegetables and refuse to…read moreeat tossed salads. Therefore, you would think that Howards Storage World is my kind of place but sadly, this overpriced, disingenuous brand does nothing for me. Even if it's a case of function over design, they're still charging an arm and a foot for functionality. Take their overpriced coathangers as an example. I can just buy a standard pack from Kmart. Wine racks ? Bunnings or Ikea. Shower caddies ? Bunnings again. Jars and bottles for the kitchen? Ikea wins hands down. On my last visit, I did see an innovative stacking, transparent shoebox system which would have been perfect for a shoe fiend like me. But it was pricy - I'd much rather buy an extra pair of shoes for the same amount.

The ingenuity of the products Howard's carries is not in question; it's their prices that leave you…read morewondering and for this reason it gets marked down. I found myself browsing for quite a while but only walked out with a couple of $7 towel rails. You can pick up some cheap and nifty nick knacks that would make great Xmas stocking fillers but I tend to agree with other reviewers that outlets like Ikea and Bunnings probably offer better value for money, although Bunnings does not carry the same extensive space saving range of products.