My wife commissioned Greenheart to fit our kitchen at a cost of around £40,000. Without doubt, it…read morewas the biggest and most expensive mistake we have ever made. The initial meetings and design stage went ok. However, from the moment we made our first payment (of around 10k) things went downhill rapidly. Installation dates were continually put back, and once started, there were countless delays, all of which meant that we were without use of a kitchen for 9 weeks. We were told 3. But the worst thing - the quality. As time has gone on - and it was only completed two months ago - it has become clear that both the quality of materials used as well as the standard of workmanship are of the most basic level. Doors fail to close properly, there are gaps to the joins throughout, bits have fallen off. All in all, it resembles a less than successful amateur DIY project. I am not kidding when I say that if we had moved into our house with this as the existing kitchen, we would have ripped it up straight away and replaced it. When friends ask how much it cost, I lie because I am too embarassed to tell them the truth. It really is that bad. Please avoid Greenheart kitchens - there really has to be better options in Cardiff.

My husband and I spent months going around kitchen showrooms to try and find our ideal kitchen to…read moreno avail. We wanted a solid wood kitchen the wouldn't cost the earth. A friend mentioned she'd popped into a company's showroom, called Greenheart Kitchens and was full of praise for what she'd seen. As we are local we went along to their Bessemer Road showroom, and she was right, they had exactly what we were looking for. The shaker style of their modular kitchen range can fit any setting, traditional, country or contemporary, depending upon the colour, handles, worktops, etc. that you choose. The units are solid wood, have a hand painted "feel", look as good on the inside as they do on the outside and have proper hinges, to list just a few of the boxes it ticked for us. We had definite ideas about what we wanted and Greenheart were able to accommodate us; from colour matching our chosen shade of cream from a piece of painted wood I gave them to making us a bespoke slanted wooden draining board. We had the modular units in the main, but Greenheart were more than happy to make us a base corner unit to our spec. to fit in with our kitchen design. Steve and his team couldn't have been more helpful and patient; from our initial contact to the fitting of the units; which we opted for Greenheart to do. They did a great job. The kitchen has been fitted for two months, and we're really pleased, we have exactly what we wanted. We know we have a quality kitchen, that we feel will stand the test of time both in design and structure. It looks bespoke, without the usual hefty price tag.

We came here as a house because we were looking for a new coffee table and some chairs. We didn't…read morewant anything expensive because we'd all be separating next year. However, still wanted to support a more local shop before heading over to Ikea. Unfortunately, when you are students the Ikea trip is almost inevitable. We didn't buy anything from here, partially because there was nothing that quite matched what we were looking for and partially because Ikea was just cheaper. When you're a student and having house parties, you have to consider how much you stand to lose in one raucous night. However, the service was great and I would recommend it to anyone looking to spend a little more (but still not much!).

Cowbridge Flooring Studios was where I used to go to buy my lino for making lino printing blocks…read more It's a trick I picked up at art college that has saved me a small fortune over the years. (Buying ready mounted lino blocks from craft shops is way more expensive!) They are a friendly bunch at Cowbridge Flooring Studios, and are always willing to help. They sell all manner of floor coverings too... carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl, rugs... you name it they've got it! Plus, they offer all of the allied services that go with fitting out a new floor, making them pretty much a one stop shop in the flooring department!

With 100 years experience in the decorating industry in Wales, W J Gardner proudly declare…read morethemselves as 'Decorators Merchants' on their shop sign, and so seem to be targeting professional trade decorators and interior designers as well as perhaps individuals who are doing a spot of home improvement. Then shop has a fairly smart but old-fashioned look about the place, and offers a curtain make-up service, soft furnishings and accessories, paints, wall coverings and a whole host of carpets and fabrics. While they're a lot smaller than the huge out-of-town DIY stores such as B&Q, their remit is narrower and they're not trying to cover everything to do with DIY, so if you'd rather avoid the big warehouse type store and support independents, this is a good bet.

W J Gardner really caters more for a professional market of decorators than for people looking just…read moreto spruce up their homes. Well, that seems to be how they view themselves anyway and there's obviously nothing stopping individuals from doing their shopping there. Having said that, I felt a little bit like I was wasting someone's time because I only needed one can of paint (to paint a banner - not even for real home decoration...). The prices were about average and I would go back if I needed to but I'm not going to rant and rave about it to everyone.

The non-food Tescos. The main sections are the clothes, homeware, electronics, kitchen stuff, CDs…read moreand DVDs, and they sell furniture and beds (look out Ikea) and there's even a Costa Coffee inside. The prices aren't outstanding though. There are some bargains to be found but for example a lot of the electronics stuff is the same price you'd find them in Dixons. Don't go expect a massive bargain frenzy. There are no 'normal' checkouts in this place- every checkout is self-service, which is fine if your shopping basket is not too big but it can end up getting chaotic if your basket has DVDs (that have age restrictions), or clothes (that have tags).

Much as I love to hate Tesco because it's taking over the world bit by bit, I have to admit that…read morethey know what they're doing when it comes to selling the public 'stuff'. right now, they have every single market cornered. If you can find something in Ikea, you can probably also now find it at Tesco Home Plusa big out of town non-food Tesco store. It's pleasant enough to walk round and browse, though the majority of things are in their catalogue and the actual store is just a fraction of what they sell. If you can leave your moral objections at the door, it's a good shop.

When we were shopping for beds recently, we ended up with Dreams and were very happy with it. We…read moredidn't get the 'hard sell' when we went in, the way we did in a couple of other bed stores, though there was definitely a bit of 'soft sell' going on and we were given some free cups of tea. The prices were pretty similar to all the other stores. They set up an interest-free repayment scheme without any problems or complaints. For delivery, we were given a pretty accurate idea of how long it would take to arrive. Then a few days before delivery, another phone call, then on the morning of delivery, another one- very thorough. A good quality mattress turned up, no problems. Hopefully we won't have to shop for beds too often but next time we do I'll happily go back to Dreams.

I adore this shop - I wish that my house could look like this with all fine furnishings and…read moredelicate glasses and jewellery strewn about with glamourous abandon. I would have to have genetic modification to stop my clumsiness though and, as the lady looking after the shop pointed out, I probably wouldn't want to do the dusting! A two-storey treasure trove of vintage items but displayed with finesse. I came looking for some champagne saucers and the lady was very helpful in showing me some (the wrong decade for me, but they were beautiful Edwardian cut glass). The prices are astonishingly reasonable verging on cheap so if you like quality items in your home and kitchen then I highly recommend coming here and finding bits and bobs.

Shaws drapers offers you quality items at a really good price. Their sales are a great time to pick…read moreup bedding & towels etc. at a tremendous saving. Things to look out for Towels - Their towels are thick, fluffy, absorbant & last years. Egyptian Cotton bedding - great quality, get better with wear & they are at unbeatable prices. Padded bed throws - a fraction of the price others charge. Welsh gifts - at a tiny fraction of the price eg. teacloths. They are inexpensive at normal prices BUT at sale times - unbeatable!

absolutely the best for all your bedding,curtains,towels etc,plus reallt helpful staff,cant beat it…read morefor price as well.Had some things for years and they wash well.