A Tapsell British & Oriental Carpets has been trading well in excess of fifty years. Established in…read more1952, this upmarket shop has been around well before Allied Carpets was a glint in the eye of its owners darning needle, (or whatever kind of needle they use to make carpets!). A Tapsell British & Oriental Carpets is not the kind of shop that you go to on a whim to do a spot of compulsive buying, unless of course you are listed in the Fortune 500, and then you could indulge yourself without committing yourself to a financial burden that would wreck your life! Yup, those Oriental rugs aren't cheap, 'but they sure is beautiful!' They are utterly gorgeous in fact. The quality is breathtaking. As the name implies, A Tapsell British & Oriental Carpets, also stock less expensive rugs and carpets made a lot closer to home. They may have cornered the exotic rug market in Cardiff, but they also know where their bread and butter money comes from! So, if you are the kind of person that cannot resist buying beautiful things, may I suggest that when you go to A Tapsell British & Oriental Carpets you restrict yourself to looking at the homespun floor coverings, or else you run the risk of losing your heart on something you may never be able to afford!?

I had my heart set on something special for the bedroom and found it here at A Tapsell; a…read morebreathtakingly georgeous hand-woven Qashqai carpet in deep pomegranate shades. What a treat for the eyes, warm, plush wool and soft as butter! This the first thing my feet touch in the morning and the last thing they touch at bedtime. This is not just an indulgence, but also an investment, as these carpets never depreciate in value. Highly recommended, long-established trader of the best quality Oriental carpets to be found anywhere.

Perhaps not the most rivetting of places to review, but Bristol Flooring Bargains is worth putting…read moreon the map if and when floor politics should enter your life. My folks were visiting Bristol a while back and were on a mission to find a rug, which they promptly found here. Boasting a range of sophisticated rugs, the folks were spoilt for choice but eventually chose a handmade Moghal style number which cost around £120 and exuded quality and professional artistry. Bristol Flooring Bargains also sell vinyl and a huge selection of carpets. Laminate and wood can also be purchased here and the shop operates a free delivery service too. Expect good quality materials and prices which correlate.

I have used Bristol flooring on several occasions for carpet and Lino and have always found their…read moreservice to be excellent, the staff are all very friendly and knowledgable and they have a good selection of carpet and lino, their prices are very reasonable and you always feel like you are getting a good deal - A great local, independent business !

Inspired by the ancient Chandi Chowk market in Delhi this fair-trade home ware and fashion shop in…read morePark Street will transport you to India and Bangledesh as soon as you walk through the doors. With beautiful ethically sourced materials used to make bags, scarves and blouses it really does give you food for thought as to where you should shop for your clothes. Sadly, try as I might, I cannot bring myself to love the designs at Chandi Chowk, despite loving their principles. I do find that their accessories, such as their pashminas, pillows and throws make excellent ethical presents for homes that need a colourful pick-me-up. The staff are passionate about what they sell too, so don't be shy in asking questions!

I was dragged into this store by my Mum; we were wondering up Park Street and so I played the…read moredutiful son. I was never entirely sure what it was - a fabric shop, a charity shop, a clothes shop? Well Chandni Chowk sells clothes and fabrics and homewares - including amazing rugs. Everything has a unique print and is very ethnic in style, lots of great ideas for loose fitting and cool summer cover-ups that my Mum absolutely loved. I left with lots of gift ideas for my Mum and Aunty and really wanting one of the amazing printed rugs for my house - they were beautiful and a reasonable price - not cheap - but what you would expect for a high quality rug. Give Chandni Chowk a look; they have some stunning and truly unique pieces for the home and some great gift ideas with a difference. I'm glad I was dragged in and I'm glad I finally know what they sell!

Other people here have mentioned the hardware store on one side (they mix Dulux paint which is very…read morehandy by the way) but I just want to mention the garden centre which is on the separate building across the pedestrian/cycle path (which reminds me - do note the different coloured bricks and cycle images on the floor and watch out for cycles). The garden centre is pretty well stocked for peripherals, but also has a nice selection of instant colour seasonal plants as well as some fruit and herbs for kitchen gardens. Their willows and topiary are a bit old fashioned and I would recommend going to a specialist nursery for trees (try Chew Valley Trees) but this is great for a gardening hit in town.

This sprawling department store feels like one giant throwback to the 1970s. The design is dowdy,…read morecome here after going to Ikea for a real shock. You'll hear very British muzak plays over the speakers, interrupted occasionally by an announce who kindly reminds you to validate your parking when paying for your goods. Quaint to the point of being weird, and also almost always completely empty. Enough of analysis of the style of the shop, I should probably tell you if it's any good. There are sections for homeware and DIY, as well as a garden centre. You can get more or less anything for the home, a few things you didn't know you needed, and a few things no-one would ever need. There's an entire row of various things for your milkman to leave the milk in, to give you an idea of the range. It's not that cheap unfortunately. I think all there costs must go on the staff (who are very helpful), of which there seem to be a greater number than there are customers most of the time.