Erinbank's full of treasures & I always go back when I'm in Melbourne, there's always something…read moredifferent that you know you won't find in the city shops. From clothes, hats, beautiful Japanese pottery, jewelry, there's something for every room in your house or if you're looking for a gift.

It seems like this shop has been around forever, and yet it never fails to delight and intrigue me…read morewith it's mixture of quirky homewares and stylish clothes that I never see anywhere else. A really nice lady owns this little shop, and she's very helpful without being at all in your face. This is always a lovely shopping, or just browsing, experience.

Tucked away from the bustle of Sydney road is the no car traffic street of Sparta. A little oasis…read moreof small unique stores, cafe, and artists hangout. The design store sits here, and sells a range of handmade kids clothes, blankets and other crafts. They also stock amazing Marimekko collection and small collections from independent jewellers, cards, and other things. It's a lovely little shop that you will surprisingly spend Way too much time in.

This was a lovely place to stumble upon! My husband and I were wandering aimlessly around North…read moreMelbourne after a yummy brunch at Elceed, and our wandering led us to Victoria Street, which if I recall correctly, had some cute cafes and retail spaces. I was drawn into this store because of the interesting decor featured in their storefront window (a huge corn on the cob that had a bite taken out of it, along with a double stacked hamburger... if that makes any sense.) True to their name, they had some quirky lookin' knick knacks, bags, jewelry, and housewares. I also loved their logo, which are silhouettes of animals such as dogs and giraffes. As I was browsing through the store, I noticed two guys carrying huge animal-like sculptures out of the store, as if they were going to be displayed at an event of some sort. Obviously not outside the realm of possibility at a store named Quirk! I ended up buying a customisable letter banner, perfect for my hipster birthday parties/Elite Events. :)

From the owner: Step off Victoria Street in North Melbourne into an unexpected menagerie. Toys too good for kids…read more There's a piggy bank cast from a real piglet and parrot drawings embellished with frilled collars made of recycled maps and envelopes. Greenery protrudes from vintage pots and an array of terrariums. Good affordable design with a sense of play!

Melody Nelson is a great little nook of surprises, full of things you didn't realise you wanted…read moreuntil you saw that it existed. Full of little knick-knacks, thing-a-ma-bobs and trinkets, it's an especially good place to visit if you're gift shopping (particularly as it bills itself as a gift shop). The goods are sourced locally and from Europe, and range from leather gloves, dresses, fancy hats, scarves and cushions through to brightly coloured and chunky potato peelers, rainbow water glasses and cute little tea sets. It's the sort of shop where you go around making little noises of approval as you browse. It's not cheap, but also not all that expensive and the things are nice. It's always worthwhile to drop in if you're in the area.

Brunswick Bound is a particularly thoughtful bookshop. Not overly small and not large like the…read morechain stores, it caters to a variety of broad and specialty interests. There's a great range of locally designed cards, stationary and the odd bit of craft that make for great presents. A lot of the cards have some very cheeky local jokes on them, such as the cards with a photo of a zone 2 sign as part of the statement "I'd go to zone 2 for you" that were in stock about a year back. It also sells a small range of CDs and vinyl, as well as DVDs, journals and magazines. There's also a small gallery space upstairs that hosts bimonthly exhibits of local artists work. The staff are all avid book lovers and will happily talk you through your purchase or recommend something. It's also not too expensive, though obviously an independent bookstore rather than a discount outlet. Always worth a look in when gift shopping, or any other time really.

If you like reading, and I know you do because you're reading this review, then you must pop into…read morethis independent bookshop the next time you find yourself on Sydney Road. It's also a bit of an oasis of calm in here if Sydney Road is giving you aural overload. There's lots of great books, music, and knick-knacky gift type things to look at, so take your time about it. Grab a few books and find a spare spot on a sofa and just take a load off. If you've found the books you want but you're still not ready for pavement pounding, upstairs is a small, sun-flooded art gallery, and another space in which to meditate. Exhibitions here usually feature local artists. Brunswick Bound hosts the occasional author event too, so visit their beautiful website and get your name on their mailing list to keep in touch.