You may be wondering who on earth needs to buy carpet in HK, but if you have ever lived through a…read moreheater-less winter, in an apartment with tiled floors, you will probably realise that I'm talking about you. K&L Wallpaper Carpet may just be the solution that you've been looking for. As it says on the tin, it supplies carpets. Now, it's unlikely that you will need to wall-to-wall carpet your entire rental flat, nor should you waste the money on it for two months of cold(ish) winter. However, and this is my Hong Konger inside trick, you can buy offcuts of carpets from K & L Wallpaper Carpet, at a fraction of the price that they sell in IKEA, the cheapest of cheap shops. The carpet offcuts come in a variety of random sizes, I have seen everything from 12' x 12' down to 3' x 2', they are hemmed all the way around so that the tufts will not shed when you get home, they tend to be single coloured (which is great if you're not a big fan of these heavenly pattern rugs you get elsewhere in Hong Kong), and again, they are very cheap. I have a whole bunch of these offcuts that I wheel out every November to keep my feet warm. They even match my decor at home! Of course, there are many carpets stores that offer the same "treated" offcuts, however I particularly like this one in Wan Chai because of the strangely grumpy owner. He is as straight as an arrow, will let you know what is in stock, and if there is anything else due to come in which may suit, and he will do this with no smile and no pleasantries. It is strangely refreshing. However, he will offer some discount, usually rounding down rather than anything concrete. With regard to the other offerings of wallpapers, to be fair I'm not a big fan because they are very kitschy. However, if you want your bedroom to look like inside of the Laura Ashley catalogue from 1982, please do have a browse and see what suits.

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.

Zzue Creation is an outdoor furniture store that is definitely at the upper end of the price scale…read more The products they offer are fantastic, genuine, and of the highest quality. However, you may need to remortgage your house to afford them. The store offers general outdoor furnitures and accessories, such as outdoor "sofa" seating, tables and chairs, sun-brellas, awnings, gazebos, storage units, lights, fire torches, you get the idea. All the products are imported from places like Italy and Germany, are the genuine article, and have lengthy warranties. As such, you will pay a premium for them. You could buy a similar item from elsewhere for much cheaper, but these will be the Chinese knock-offs, which carry no warranty, no return policy, and may last anything from 100 months to 100 minutes. Most of the products (certainly the furniture but excluding the accessories) require ordering, as there are usually fabric and other finish options. Turnaround times are a bit longer (due to the import time?) at 6-8 weeks. Also, not everything is on display. In fact, compared to the product range that they actually have on offer, very little is displayed. Ask the staff to see brochures and pictures, which are plentiful and available. If you are feeling flush and are interested in buying, ask for Emily. She is one of the sales supervisors, but is incredibly knowledgable about the products and services. She also knows what is available on display at the other stores, so if you really want to look at something, she will direct you to the right location in HK.

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.

As I type this, I have an Airland pillow propping my head up against the headboard. I may have…read morejumped on the Airland bandwagon late, but if I did it's because instead of raving about their pillows, everybody was getting a perfect night's sleep on them. To brief you on Airland and its bedding: the company emphasizes clean technology, quality products made with social responsibility in mind. They have a few collections, and their main branch in the furniture mall in Sha Tin is the one that made me aware of their pillow collection, specifically: their aromatic pillows. Yes, my pillows are scented, and I regret nothing about this eccentricity. I'm going to have to install a few of these badboys at the boyfriend's because his IKEA ones lack the plumpness and aromatherapy I am now so spoiled with. He keeps telling me what a good night's sleep he's had when he's over - I don't want to tell him it's the pillows, because I think he thinks that I'm his lucky sleeping charm. And that's nice. So, my pillow has been stuffed on the side with a bag full of dried lavender. Let me tell you: one whiff of this as you're hugging your pillow to sleep, and you're in a whole new state of calm to count sheep. The scent does fade after a few months, but the plumpness of my pillows has persisted for almost a year now, so I'm pretty chuffed. They also have goose feather, memory foam, neck support, and long Queen size pillows, among others. I wouldn't be afraid to just have a field day in this shop and test them all out. If you're like me, a perfect night's sleep is the pinnacle of existence so I would definitely recommend a trip here to make sure all your bases are covered.

When it comes to buying antique furniture in HK, most would suggest the wallet busting shops on…read moreHollywood Road, or the handful scattered in Horizon Plaza. Alternatively, you could go to Guangzhou, and risk getting proper shafted. Red Hall is a decent compromise between the sharks on Hollywood Road, and the, errr..., sharks in Guangzhou. Based in Mui Wo, it is slightly incongruous in comparison to it's neighbouring shops, being neither an estate agent or a Park n Shop. It is also slightly inconvenient in terms of shipping to HK "mainland". However, don't worry about that, they will deliver your furniture for a cost. The pieces in there are mainly the big ticket furniture items; wardrobes, cupboards, drawers, day beds. There are a few smaller items like kang tables, which incidentally make excellent coffee tables, and traditional stools, both of which you could lug home yourself on the ferry. There is also a rather odd garden furniture section which sells seemingly contemporary items. It is a little bit like they bought a load by mistake and are trying to shift it. Red Hall isn't as "genuine" as Red Lantern up the road, but they do sell "half" antiques. Where Red Lantern sells the genuine article, warts and all, Red Hall primarily does reconditions or copies. It is critical if you buy here to understand that you may not be buying genuine antique furniture, hence the lower prices compared to Hollywood Road. Let me give you an example; I bought a narrow book cupboard, which was reconditioned from an old larder. The original larder was 8ft across and had 16 decorative panels. Only four panels survived, so they rebuilt them into the book shelf that I bought, which is now only 2ft across. The back and sides of my cupboard are new built, only the panels are antique. Of course I knew this at the time, as the staff told me. One thing they are here (unlike perhaps GZ), is they are honest about the provenance. If it is a recondition, it says so on the sales ticket, and the staff will tell you what parts are old and new. They will also indicate what is replica, i.e. a completely new build of an old design. Surprisingly, a lot of the new builds are more expensive than the antiques, but that's HK for you! Only valuable if it's shiny and new...

When it comes to interior decorating, furniture and that lot I'm not the person to listen to for…read moreadvice. If it was up to mean the living room walls would be filled with medieval weapons, I won't go onto my dream bedroom. That being said I was hugely attracted to the wares offered by Red Hall. It is situated in Mui Wo, strange as it sells things completely different to every other store on the island, in terms of price range and products. Upon walking in I was greeted by a giant cat statue. It looked twice my weight, beautiful, and from what I'm told, hand crafted in China. The same goes for everything else on the first floor of the store. The majority of items on sale are drawers, cabinets and shelves. All of which designed as if they were made in one of the Chinese Dynasties. Gorgeous colors of deep reds, blues and greens with chinese symbols adorn the drawers. Further back are some dining room sets - chairs and tables - and the second floor is entirely dedicated to outdoor furniture - sun beds, coffee tables, and that sort of thing. It's times likes these that I wise I took up a 'normal' job in finance as the price tags of these beauties are pretty heavy. We're talking about $3800 for a small shelve or $12500 for a couple chairs and table. I can see the value in the furniture here, and one day when I'm rich I'll be back and buy half a chair, or something.

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.

I went to this concept store shortly after 8pm on a Thursday night and it was surprisingly not…read morecrowded. It was spacious, well laid out and efficient! I was in and out of the store with my goods within 10 minutes. There are some products that you can instantly buy there too. While you're waiting, there's ample couches for you to rest on. Their systems are well connected and high tech. It is no longer somewhere I dread going.