Junk Again is another fantastic furniture place that doesn't require you be to snobby and rich to…read morepurchase their goods. I like Habitat, don't get me wrong, but really, why bother when you can get good quality furniture for much less. Especially if you are a student! Which is perfect for this area. Flocks of students come and go through Leeds, moving every year and needing to get rid of or attain furniture every time they do. Junk Again are aware of this and have cleverly positioned themselves not far from the postcodes that are predominantly student populated. If you are looking for a cabinet, a table, or arm chair, or are looking to get rid of, a fridge, a freezer, or chimney pot, Junk Again is a great place to go. They are slightly chaotic but that just adds to that old fashioned feel of shops of this type. Plus no-one will look down their polished nose at you as they so often do in Habitat.

When my friends and I moved house last year we opted for a grand four bedroom house that was…read moreunfurnished as it wold cost us a little less. That, sadly, was not the case in the end but that's more to do with the Estate Agent and building than anything else. However, pretty much the only thing that we required for our move was a sofa and some arm chairs. Enter: Junk Again! My old housemate had spotted Junk Again on her way through Woodhouse and suggested that we tried here for a cheap second hand suite. I was game for any bargain and so when she called me, all a fluster, to tell me about this awesome sofa, two arm chairs and a pouffe for a mere £40, I came immediately to the scene. Yes. That's right. All that for forty flippin' pounds. The friendly chap explained that he had planned to have them cleaned but hadn't yet, so was willing to let them go for that much - all we needed to do was clean them. No probs, Handy Hire in Headingley solved that one for us dirt cheap too! We couldn't have been more chuffed. Inside you'll find an array of lovely old furniture and the odd antique, for seriously cheap prices. My advice is: if you're moving look here first. I've a few more things I need myself so I'm planning a re-visit very soon...

This beautifully presented shop stocks a bounty of gadgets, ingredients and gifts. Situated in the…read moreClarence Dock development, Hob is a hub of activity. Although I do not feel Clarence Dock has reached its full potential in terms of creating a vibrant atmosphere, I am sympathetic towards their plight. Economically, it has not been an ideal time to attract businesses to fill the space. With that in mind, I commend them for not lowering their expectations and therefore quality of the area, by settling for less and accepting the arrival of mediocre companies. For mediocrity is an alien concept to Hob. When entering the shop, my eyes were bedazzled with the spectacular array of colourful and unusual items. It appears as though The Mad Hatter got a little jaded with the monotony of Wonderland, and decided to relocate to Leeds to open a shop. Dainty little carts display items from varying cultures. An Indian cart is covered with convenient spice packs to create the perfect curry. Authentic Indian and Chinese crockery are available, perfect for enhancing the most sophisticated dinner party. Chinese lanterns and various cooking items are available in their droves, with the warming scent of herbs wafting around the nostrils. When I was in recently, I noticed that my behaviour began to change. Who would have guessed that I, Kate, would ever be interested in the grace of a ginger grater, the comeliness of cutlery or the tastefulness of a teapot. I admit, I do enjoy a good teapot, but I behaved as though I was an expert, a veritable connoisseur of all kitchen based goods! It is a lovely shop to choose a gift for a friend or relative. From the choice of cookery books, kitsch kitchenware and many more treats, a present from here should by no means be considered a generic last resort. A section which introduces children to cooking is also a great resource to buy a birthday present which is a bit different from the usual My Little Pony or He-Man figurines. I am not out of touch, you take that back. At the rear of the shop, there is a small cafe which serves a range of sandwiches, toasties, soup and brunch. The food I have had has been both tasty and inexpensive, with the breakfast sandwiches earning particular profuse praise. A huge wooden table serves as an excellent base to devour your snack, the communal setting creating an intimate atmosphere. Whether you need to track down some yellow mustard seeds, some loose teas from around the world or the latest scribblings from your favourite chef, Hob is the ideal place to do so. Whilst eating a ham and cheese toastie, result.

Ever walked in to a shop and wanted to buy everything? Made In The Cellar is like that. It's like…read moreAladdin's cave, but in Sheffield. In there you'll find things like typographic prints of inspiration & wit; stripped-back, up-cycled tables and bespoke one off pieces of furniture; gorgeous scented candles, and stylish candlesticks; quirky lamps and the types of light fittings you see in ultra stylish interior design magazines... The list goes on. There is a selection of smaller items which would be great gifts for people, and a box of greeting cards which are so sarcastic and borderline offensive, that I couldn't resist buying 4 on my last visit - the one I'll be giving my dad for his birthday will either make or break our relationship! For the quality of the stuff in there, it's incredibly reasonably priced, I just wish I had a big enough house to fit it all in!

I could spend hours in this place looking around. It is a feast for the senses with bold colours…read moreand luxurious fabrics, decadently strewn about. I am slightly nervous about going in, it has always been one of those places that because it looked so good I always thought I couldn't afford it. On this particular journey they had some great screen pints on display and they immediately caught my eye, I just had to go and have a look. I was pleasantly surprised at the prices which I thought were extremely reasonable considering the quality involved. Once I was in the shop found it really hard to leave. The sales assistant was so friendly and chatty and there were yards and yards of some of the most gorgeous material I have ever seen. A fantastic place to come if you need to brighten up a dull room and they cater for a range of tastes.

This shop is a feast for the eyes, covered in wallpaper and fabric samples of an array of styles…read moreand colours. It has styles to suit most taste including dark striking patterns, colourful stripes, pale and pretty, plain and understated, jazzy and bright, vibrant gem colours and vintage Cath Kidston style prints and polka dots. If you're particular about the interior of your house you could probably spend hours in here browsing the vast range of options. The shop provides a curtain-making service to make the shop to home transition as smooth and easy as possible. When I popped in for a browse the staff were very pleasant, allowing me to browse for a minute or so before asking if I needed any help. They happily chatted away while I was there, which I really liked as I hate feeling like the staff are another part of the display, taking on a robotic demeanour in an attempt to make as many sales as possible. If you're looking for curtains or wallpaper you're very likely to find something to your taste here. It's certainly not the cheapest shop, but the prices reflect the high quality of the products.

When Tableau first caught my eye I had two contradictory thoughts. Firstly: oh look at that nice…read morepainted iron table that would look lovely in the garden. Secondly: why is there another shop in Headingly selling seemingly pointless ornamental objects? I went in to check it out and see which initial thought would pervade. They have quite a few bits of furniture that are very attractive, expensive but original such as a white painted iron bench and a similarly crafted coat stand. Decorative things hang from the ceiling that would suffice as gifts for mothers or girl friends who like pretty, hand-crafted things and can overlook their pointlessness. There is hand-made jewelry and some interesting prints, including a Jack Vertriano print. I particularly like the tiny glass pigs for sale. This shop is a bit more sophisticated than others of its kind in Headingly/Hyde Park selling gift items but they do sell fairy lights.

Tableau is a gift shop that I'm actually willing not to whinge about! The exterior is very tasteful…read morewith a muted forest green painted front and minimalist stainless steel lettering. The large windows display their pretty wares. Upon entering it's quite difficult to categorise their products as there is such a range. Mainly decorative home ware. There are small pieces of furniture, clocks, fairy lights, plant pots, lanterns, watering cans, ornaments, bobs and bits, bits and bobs, pretty things and lovely items. What I must say is I just LOVE their greetings card selection. Small it may be but perfectly formed it certainly is. The cards are very unusual and with a vintage and quirky style. Though I always make cards for my family I found a few that would just make perfect mothers' day cards...could I really give her two? I might have to they are so pretty! Now I'm not easy to please when it comes to cards so waxing lyrical about a shop's card selection feels rather out of character! Now gift shops and I generally don't get on, but Tableau really is different with its own character and style. Definitely a place to hunt for a present for mums or female friends who like to beautify their home. What the hey...I'm a fan!

This gorgeous little shop really deserves a mention. Being one of a kind in Pudsey, which does have…read morea lot of pretty average shops, this one stands out like a beautifully manicured sore thumb from the rest of the businesses around town. When you go inside the immediate thing to strike you has to be the visual management - truly their displays are a careful work of art. The second thing to stand out is the product. They have some marvellous items for sale here. All of the items come under the 'beauty' label, with delicious items such as Rose&Co. bath products, organic soaps (the jasmine scented one was just beautiful!), sweetly scented candles and more. As well as those kinds of items Chic Boutique had a number of beautiful items that would make anyone's home look like a stylish boudoir of old. Their homeware items were fabulous and really, really well priced too.With beautiful vases, curtains, candle holders, blinds and such it's difficult to imagine where you might start. I, however, would start with the awesomely vintage style clock. For £55 I really might go back to Pudsey for just that. Maybe on pay day! A really lovely place to visit, take a look!