My family has been coming here for years! Well before I was born. We're not local-we're Americans,…read moreand on every visit this was a must stop. There are many antiques from Alfies in my home that we inherited from my mother and smaller special keepsakes from my time living in London in my 20s. My husband & I spent part of our honeymoon in London, and it was his first time in the city (September/October 2024) and this was a nonnegotiable stop for me. Plan to spend a few hours wandering around and exploring-it's humongous! Also, generally speaking not on the inexpensive side but you can always find some gem's. I can remember on one visit when I was 19, we stumbled on a vendor that didn't realize what he had, it was a 20 year old authentic bubblegum pink Kelly (Hermes) and he had it priced under $1000. I still to this day regret not buying it for resale alone (bubblegum pink is not for me lol)

It would be an understatement to say that I am besotted with antiques. I love them. Can't get…read moreenough of them. Know London's antique and vintage purveyors like the back of my proverbial hand. And Alfie's is one of my favourites, a veritable antique market located in trendy Marylebone. With dealers selling clothes, fine and costume jewellery, furniture, textiles and collectibles, Alfie's should satisfy the needs of even the most ardent collector. And with a surprisingly accessible atmosphere at odds with the sometimes rarefied world of antiques and vintage, Alfie's is perfect for a browse for the expert and neophyte alike. I visited Alfie's just before Christmas last year and spotted cute as a button Mark Owen from Take That looking incredibly dapper. This is the place for vintage/antique fans to find unique Christmas presents without recourse to the high street.

Eccentricities is in a large warehouse, two storeys full of furniture,accessories, tables, sofas,…read morechairs, mirrors, lamps, chandeliers some antique some made to look antique. Its a jungle in there. The furniture is built up in the countryside and then sold in London. The services have been featured on a number of occassions in the top design magazines. However they do not provide a transport facility, though they can put you in touch with someone who does the job. Very friendly staff and its not such a busy place. Which I think is good; I'm not so sure if the owners feel the same!

There was a gilt edged sitting chair in purple upholstery in the window of Eccentricities, that…read morecompelled me to go inside for a closer look. I found a treasure house of antique furniture inside. There seemed to be countless mirrors in ornate settings in various parts of a maze comprised of any and all sorts of antique furniture. I was really impressed by some of the bath units, with marble and bronze fittings and set in a carved wooden unit. There were some complete sets, lovely dressing tables and bedside units with wooden panels of carved motifs. Also some very modern looking bookshelf units and a large bright pink display unit (that had already sold!!!). Its a fun place to shop for some classic and quality furniture for your house. The people here are happy to help as well if you need help in choosing the right pieces to go with your interiors.

As I'm very quick to judge, I have to say, that I had already made my mind up about this shop after…read morespotting the £45 boxed candles and £15 soaps in the window. If there's one thing that gets up my nose (no pun intended) its perfumed items that are packaged and boxed for a 1000% mark up. This is just wax after all. However, on closed inspection, I discovered that there's a lot of inspiration in here for the budding interior designer (albeit erring on the classic and quirky side) and some relatively reasonable accessories, like a mirror vase for £24 and a beautiful gift set of teacups and saucers for £27 that would make the perfect gift. Gift wrapping comes for free!

This is a lovely, quirky antique shop that always has great paintings, lovely bits of furniture,…read moreceramics and all sorts of bits and pieces. There are always several things I want to buy when I go in and you can pick up small pieces without having to spend too much money. The owner puts them together in a really attractive way so even if I can't buy anything I like going in just to have a look.

A beautiful new pop-up has appeared on the corner of Westbourne Grove and Chepstow Road and I love…read moreeverything on display, especially the charming clay sculptures - said provide protection. They don't seem to have lost any of their power, the vibe at Pera is very positive and you feel instantly at home. New objects have been appearing on every visit - so much contemporary talent! All beautifully displayed alongside big names and design classics. Open Thursdays to Sundays and well worth a visit.

It is unfortunate that there is a pretty brand new Homesense two doors down as the layouts are…read moredrastically different. While Homesense looks modern and tidy, Dunelm just looks really dated and terribly cluttered. But, if you can get past that then you've come to an Aladdin's cave of homewares. Certainly if I was looking for a new duvet or a pair of curtains, I now know the place to go. The prices were certainly very reasonable and I had to chuckle when I spotted Star Wars: The Force Awakens tissues in a small Star Wars themed area. Insert your own fanboy related joke here.

Dunelm is a great store, with lots of variety of things for your home…read more Having first gone to the new Homesense, it was strikingly obvious that Dunelm is a bit overfilled, cluttered, and dated. However, they do have good prices, and lots of choices. They did have a really small Christmas section though, which was a shame. If I needed something in particular, like new curtains, I'd definitely come here. But just to browse, it's a bit too much.

Mid-century modern design enthusiasts take note: there is one shop in Shepherd's Bush in which you…read moremay get your 'teak on'! The shop's owner, a very chill guy, met all my questions about shipping, furniture care, and the like with friendliness and patience. (Would that I owned a truck, his shop would be empty from all the purchases I'd make!) There were some lovely teak nesting tables, a night stand, a dressing table, many groovy chairs, and dressers that caught my eye. Considering the collectible nature of this type of furniture, I found the prices to be what one would expect. And, really, if you want an Eames chair, then you're going to shell out the bucks for it! There's really no other reason to visit Askew Road, but, if you're in Hammersmith/Acton/Shepherd's Bush, then I'd make the trip! (Bus #266)

This is an Aladdin's cave of a shop - an old-fashioned type ironmongers where you can buy all the…read morethings you can't find anywhere else. It's also great for a little browse - you'll find things you never knew existed! The Staines branch of Robert Dyas isn't huge compared to some I've been in, but it certainly packs a huge number of different products into a small-ish space. The chain's advertising strapline is Your friendly home and garden specialist - the Staines branch definitely lives up to this description. While you could find a lot of the products cheaper elsewhere, there are excellent bargains to be found and the staff are knowledgeable and I've always found them to be friendly and happy to take the time to help you find items.

The store has been here possibly since 1980 when the Elmsleigh Shopping Centre first opened and…read morelooks pretty much as it did 40 years ago. They have an unusual range of household products some of which are difficult to get anywhere else. The prices can be high but they do have sales and promotions from time to time. Generally the staff are helpful. Best to avoid Saturdays as they seem to be very busy then and are quiet on weekdays so easier to get assistance.