We recently went to Squint on Shoreditch High St to look for a piece of furniture for our bedroom…read more Squint is a stunning bespoke furniture shop which was started by Lisa Whatmough (a former Sculptor and Painter) at the beginning of 2005 in East London. The shop has a wonderful feeling when you walk in (not least because of Lisa's lovely little dog who pads around the studio!). There is a lot of vibrant and colourful fabric to look at and all have been cleverly worked into quality upholstering of beautiful pieces of fine antique furniture. Lisa told us that she had been collecting a mix of contemporary and vintage fabrics for many years before finding that she could use her designing skills to create a fusion of period furniture and fabrics to make one-off, bespoke pieces. The Squint range comprises items such as Victorian chaise longues, 60's style Egg chairs and all types of upholstered furniture (including bed settees and sofas) as well as mirrors and lighting. The furniture is unqiue and very individual. Well worth checking out Lisa's website or taking a trip to her shop to see her work. It's truly inspirational.

Do you like amazing bright, colourful and patterned fabric? This shop is amazing! Furniture,…read moremirrors and lighting all covered in patchwork appliqué with a range of exquisite fabric and each piece is bespoke. Situated on Shoreditch High Street recently re-located next door to Tesco Metro, huge glass front window showcasing all the amazing colours and furniture. Lisa Whatmough a former Sculptor and Painter formed the Squint business in 2005 aiming to utilise all the antique textiles she had been collecting. She has showcased her work in a range of magazines and newspapers. I just love this shop. You walk in and the colours and patterns and fabric just light up and you feel a sense of energy and colourfulness. I would love to have quilted Victorian chaise lounge in my front room!

I absolutely love 'In...'. If you're not careful you may miss it but if you work your way through…read moreall the stalls in Spitalfields you'll fihnd this gorgeous home furnishings shop. They have beautiful furniture (dinning room tabels, chairs, cabinets and shelving) all of which have great individual style. My favourite items in here are the trinkets and decor. They have beautiful bird cages for decor that you can put candles in as well as beautiful lighting and ornaments. It's a brilliant place if you're looking for gifts as they have stuff for men, women and children. The prices are reasonable and the staff are great.

I love this unique shop. They sell mainly quirky home decor items, as well as a small selection of…read morebooks (pop culture, fashion etc), jewellery, cards and gifts. It's a great place to head for an unusual gift or for someone hard to buy for. A lot of the stuff is a bit pricey but you can tell it's good quality. I'll definitely be popping in here when I move house to get some of the kitsch lighting and kitchenware they stock.

How have I not reviewed this place yet? When in need of some furniture of random crap for the…read morehouse, this was my go-to place. Now I'm moving back into the area, once again it's a haven of everything old, cheap and totally not antique. I while ago I bought a really old heavy oak table here. It was covered in graffiti but with a little bit of sanding and a lick of paint, it's now a piece in my room that people comment on. It makes me even happier that you can haggle for prices, if you can understand the very strong Irish accents going on that is. I did struggle but eventually, we cut a deal and for £35 I could have the table delivered. They have books, vinyl, vhs, laps, wardrobes, chairs, dining sets. Every weekend it's something different so get there early if you want to have the best pick of stuff. Bring cash, no your spending limit and don't pay more than a tenner for delivery.

When you enter any sort of business you want it to have a lasting impression in whom ever enters…read moreit. After all, first impressions do count. Furniture from B-loose will most definitely make it count. They do not make the furniture themselves, but they do have an eye for selecting the most contemporary pieces within Europe's leading brands. They also assist the design community in creating the innovative, responsive environments that works best for them and their clients. In addition, they offer the whole package, from the furniture all the way to delivery and composition. For me, coming here with a budget was like being in Disneyland. One of the must haves (I think) is the Za (Japanese for seating) a white round seating, like a doughnut, not quite as round on the top part. Really comfortable to sit on and it looks top of the class!

B Loose is a excellent Furniture store based in London, I have had various products from here in…read morethe past and will in the near future priced fair! I also get furniture from over seas from a place called Kassa Furniture these have high end furniture @ excellent prices I would highly recommend either of these furniture places both great both affordable :)

"This is a hot mess."…read more A hot, sexy, shoreditchy, junky-treasure-filled, narrow, jammed up --- MESS. I mean this in the nicest of ways. Basically this is a storage space that is unloaded and reloaded for the flea markets. ANd we hit it on a day that it was "full." As in, nothing out to pasture to be sold. This mean we walked into a long and narrow space toppling with chairs, art, glamour shots, furniture, nudity --- basically, we stumbled into a hipster wonderland. The music is so loud you won't be able to talk to the person that is barely visible behind all the "junk." This seems to be by design according to their web site. It's a free-spirited shop. No organization, no price tags...and no way to really find out what things are or how much they cost. I guess this is part of the fun. We admired the action figure window display, flipped through a few of those ridiculous Glamour Shots, admired the cushioned headboard hanging from the far back wall that resembles a "moneyshot" woman -- and were on our way. Their website gives a great story. I wouldn't hesitate to stop in again. I'm pretty sure if I wanted to buy something they'd list out a price -- but maybe not. That's the fun of... a HOT MESS.

Wawa's East London showroom, located on Ezra Street just a stone's throw away from Columbia Road…read moremakes a welcome change from identikit Ikea furniture and the sometimes boring simplicity of much modern design. Selling a variety of furniture, Wawa's speciality is its selection of contemporary sofas, designed by Richard Ward, a trained sculptor who turned his hand to furniture design almost twenty years ago. At once thoroughly contemporary and evocative of designs past, Wawa's sofas come upholstered in a range of acid bright textiles and a plethora of shapes ranging from the classic chaise longue to altogether more modernist styles. I've fallen head-over-totally-out-of-my-price-range-heels for a Schiaparelli pink 'Yasmin Solo' couch which retails at around £800, and the 'Soho Solo' armchair in shocking yellow which comes in at around £600. And they say love is illogical...

Everytime I visit Spitalfields, I always end up in this shop. Eight Sq harbour a collection of…read morevintage chic home decor and furniture. From storage units to cute little things to hang up on your wall. Everything in it is "soooo me". If I had a bigger room, I'm sure I'd empty out their store. If you're a fan of Sass & Belle, then you'll definitely be a fan of this cute little shop. However, I personally find it a bit on the pricey side (I'm not rich you know!). Nonetheless, it's worth a look around and you might find something you've been looking for!

Eight Square is a gorgeous shop in Spitalfields. It has some of the most beautiful furniture…read moreincluding bespoke chairs upholstered in luxurious fabrics. They have some exotic pieces as well as contemporary shabby-chic looking furniture. The French chandeliers here are just gorgeous and they sometimes have the most huge, amazing mirrors. The owner also brings in artworks by local artists to sell in her shop (I presume the owner is a woman because it's so feminine and beautiful). They also stock the practical items such as linen baskets etc and they have beautiful ornaments and trinkets as well. I absolutely love this shop-it's stunning and the prices match the quality of the products. Some are expensive and some not as expensive. The staff are very friendly and welcoming as well. It's a great shopping experience.

Bethnal Green has a smattering of second-hand and reclaimed furniture shops - this one is tucked…read moreinto an old railway bridge arch next to Bethnal Green Gardens. The owner assures me all the furniture is coming from hotels and by the look of it - the feel is very eighties corporate -and not nice! However there is a smattering of other vintages such as a 1940s wood wardrobe can be bought for £75.00 / carved wood chair with leather cushion£35.00(1960's) /and a solid wood desk at £80.00(1950's) and a cute 1950's wood corner bar is a steal at £25.00 (but where do you put it ??) -- free delivery is included within a 3 mile radius. okay there is no covetted 70's stuff to be had - but.......... If you have the patience to look and have very little budget- -this is a good place to pop into from time to time - who knows you may get lucky and find a great eighties corporate furniture moment !

I bought an item of furniture from Hackney Furniture on ebay. When I turned up to collect the item…read moreI was asked by the owner what the item looked like. He made little effort to look round his stock before he told me that it had already been sold! When I asked for my money back, I was told that he didn't have the money to give me and that he would send it to me. I am still waiting!! The communication from this company both via ebay & phone has been none existent! I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS COMPANY AT ALL.

The stylist behind Story is an absolute legend. As a true fan of beautiful curiosities, I find this…read morethe most visually exciting place in London. Within this white walled warehouse space you will come across dresses built up out of lace, bunches of white rice paper roses and soft chains of jewellery. There is an organic theme tying the shop together, lightly fragranced by incense and structured in a mystical, meandering way with pieces hanging from the ceiling, on the floor and in all the spaces in between. During the week Story is open by appointment only but on a Sunday is open from 1pm. Hidden behind an overgrown willowy plant makes finding this shop even more of a delight.