You can find just about anything at Japan Home Centre, and usually at reasonable prices. There's a…read moregood range of products here (if you're willing to do a little searching), but there are some clear space issues. Too much stuff, not enough shelving to store it. I've been a few times where aisles were almost completely blocked because they were using the floor to store extra boxes they had no idea where to place. You can still navigate around it, but it can be a little claustrophobic.

A (new to me) modern Japanese housewares chain store in the city plaza. They sell from kitchen…read moredinnerware to bathroom towels and decor, to small furnitures like coffee table and sofas in a very affordable price. It is a great alternative than ikea products for paying a bit more what you would pay in ikea. But I love how their products look so stylish, modern and trendy. It's definitely not those traditional Chinese dinnerware places. Most dinnerware are ceramic with some glass options that cover different style for your home!

In a way, this place is a misnomer because it's a store for housewares and home decor. Then again,…read moreyou could say all of the items in the store are waiting for homes so they're homeless. Or, you could just agree that this place is just frikken hipster and leave it at that. I enjoy browsing through this store because they have such fun brands (Fred, for example.) You can find interesting kitchenware like egg yolk separators, neat picture frames, cool light fixtures... you get the gist. To be honest, I can't think of a similar place in Singapore that compares, and that is also in an affordable price range like Homeless is. This probably explains why my husband and I ended up buying one of those funky looking dusters, a pretty picture frame, and a moosehead-shaped cutting board (that's right- I found a moose in Hong Kong!) I wouldn't put this store on your must-visit list, especially if you're not in the market for home goods, but considering I can't find similar styles in Singapore and prices are a good here, a visit to Homeless is always welcome!

You have all the greatest and most useless home decor and furniture right in one shop. Yes, I said…read moreuseless. Well given the vibe and hipster-ness on Gough Street, Homeless certainly has its fame. Everyone loves spending some time here woo-ing the design of things they have. It's a shame I'm a strong believer of "Form follows Function", and overwhelming designs are just not my thing. Also, whenever you buy your first item here... it's so great it would definitely stands out at your apartment. And the only logical solution is... buy more. Make your house like a designer's house. Ops. Before you know it, you now have a dozen different expensive and useless decors at home. So yeah, the a few times I wasn't window shopping, I came here and looked for specific items. The staff were so chilled that they didn't seem to care about if you got what you wanted to buy (imagine the opposite of the "shadow-sales" at SaSa). I wanted a box. Wooden, metal, jewelry box, don't care. Staff showed me the only two "boxes" they had. Of course they were designer boxes and didn't quite serve the purpose of being a box. I will come back again only if I buy gifts for friends, because that gonna be best use of useless decors.

Aloha Outdoor Furniture is (believe it or not) an outdoor furniture retailer. Located in Horizon…read morePlaza, Ap Lei Chau, they stock a good range of furniture and accessories, mostly made locally in China. The store is large and spacious, with the products sensibly laid out and displayed, and enough room to move around each staged piece. The staff are very attentive and quickly on hand to help, but sometimes a bit too attentive. If I wanted to be followed around everywhere, I'll get a puppy. The products themselves are mostly made in China, but unfortunately, the price does not reflect this, with many of the items pitched around the midway point between the expensive imports, and the cheap Chinese copies. These same items can be bought in a shop 4 floors above for 30% less. And with all Chinese products, they lack the quality and assurances (warranties, returns) of goods made elsewhere. What this store does very well is the Rubbermaid plastic storage solutions. None of the other outdoor furniture stores in Horizon Plaza sell these plastic clip together units (the Garden Gallery gardening store does sell similar), so if this is what you are after, you will probably have to buy here. The Rubbermaid products I am talking about range from wheelie bins and beer coolers, through to storage benches and full size sheds. Look, they're not the nicest looking things in the world (quite frankly they are the warts on the face of your lovely garden), they're not cheap (being imported from the US) but they are practical, and 90% waterproof. For the outdoor seating sets, and tables and chairs, I would probably go elsewhere, but for plastic sheds and storage boxes, this is your place!

Life Goods is one of those stores that should be on every corner. It is a "general" store that just…read moreseems to stock everything that one would need for life! What I like, is that provide across a number of household needs; home-wares like Japan Home Centre, stationery like the mom and pop shops, hardware like the guys on Wellington Street. It seems that if you need anything, you can get it here. It is moderately cramped in the store, I suppose the stock has to go somewhere, so if you have shopping bags or a ruck sack, be careful! There are two floors, with mainly stationery, kitchen-ware, and hard ware downstairs, and bigger home-wares upstairs, like ironing boards and plastic boxes. Some of the store highlights include; photo albums, plastic boxes, paint pens, plastic spiral key chains, lots of carabiners, toys, and decorations, and a few items that I would not have expected, including; gas torches and soldering kit for plumbing, and thick transparent plastic sheeting, like stuff they drop down the sides of the junk boats to stop the splashes coming in. The staff are very friendly, if not a bit difficult to spot as they don't wear any uniform, and will help you to get out stock, or cut rolls of linoleum. The prices are very very reasonable, basically cheap as chips, so fill your boots! The store is also very close to Tin Hau station, so only a short walk if you are carrying a plastic box full of stuff!

JHC is my go-to spot in my neighborhood for anything houseware-related: think cleaning supplies,…read moresmall appliances, random containers, fans, welcome and bath mats, towels, and even glassware/plates/flatware. Despite carrying all of the above (and much more!), this particular store is pretty small and the aisles are quite narrow... but, they've made great use of the space and you can even find vacuum cleaners on the high shelves in the very back of the store. The goods aren't the highest of quality, but they're inexpensive and get the job done. And maybe best of all: JHC is much easier to deal with than IKEA! It's fun walking around my apartment building and spotting the welcome mats that I think we've all purchased from JHC.

Rapee-Living is an interesting store. It specializes in home furniture and decorations, of a…read moredifferent variety. It's great because It offers something other than the typical Ikea or Price Rite choices, products that can make a home unique instead of "oh... yea I was going to buy that in Ikea, but I bought something else in Ikea." Before I moved to Mui Wo I was on the look out for a few things to fill up the new flat. Naturally I wanted to travel as short a distance as possible, which led me to Rapee-Living. It's a small store with a big bed in the middle taking up most of the room. What attracted me most about it was the colorful toys, and small decorations that set it apart. They even had a electronic picture frame/ video frame that I thought was pretty cool. I was not allowed to buy it. We ended up getting a couple of stripy bed sheets, a pair of matching pillows and a little toy that seems to be their mascot. The stuffed toy is everywhere around the shop in different designs and colors but its cute all the same. The prices weren't bad either and I can see myself building up a little collection of those stuffed toys (for my girlfriend, not me!) over time. In general Ikea has everything I need, but not everything I want. It is the shops like Rapee-Living that help add a pinch of spice to an otherwise boring apartment. I've noticed that there are a few other RLs around town and I'd definitely have a look in one should I pass by.

A cool upscale office furniture store with Eames chairs, funky stand up desks and the Herman Miller…read morebrand stamped on the front door, I am a fan of Posh because they sell the hand made Alexander Girard wooden dolls I collect. Probably more of prop for them to decorate their operation with a contemporary feel, it is really the only place I have found in Hong Kong where they are sold. $1700HKD per doll. But if you were designing an office space, from walls to furniture, this would be a good place to check out.