Such an astonishing showroom!! The fireplaces they have in stock are beautiful and the staff are…read moreextremely knowledgeable and prepared to answer any questions. Would definitely recommend them to everyone!

From the owner: Retailers and importers of unique handmade Indian furniture. Ranging in designs from Retro and…read morevintage through to Industrial. Manufactured in a variety of materials to include Mango wood, Teak wood and raw industrial Steel. Simply lush furniture

This place has a fantastic stock of original antique and reproduction fireplaces, including both…read morethe inserts and the surrounds - plus wood-burners. I found this shop when I was looking for a Victorian fireplace for my previous flat, and it was just the job: they had a fireplace with a cast iron shelf, so no need for a surround - exactly what I needed to bring my lounge back to its original glory. If you don't find exactly what you want, however, they can custom build surrounds to match your exact requirements, and they also offer a repair and restoration service if you have an original fireplace in need of some TLC. They offer a (fairly pricey) fitting service, which is convenient if like me you're no handy DIY expert.

Some fireplace places make you feel like a proper doofus every time you ask a question. Not Period…read moreFireplaces. What a friendly, genuine, helpful bunch. We're about to get a hearth, surround and woodburner from them, and use their installation service, plus get a small bedroom fireplace repaired and restored, and it's been a joy dealing with them so far - will update once all work complete. Update, Sep 2013. All the above work was completed to our total satisfaction and we've also had them restore a second cast iron fireplace - back to black, with a slight repair and replacement bars, it looks as good as new. Great service from a highly recommended company.

This is one of those shops where although the stock is modern and up-to-date you really get a feel…read moreof a time gone by. Complete with old style writing of the name on the frontage, this place takes things at a more traditional place. It is your guaranteed one stop in the area for all your DIY and gardening desires. From light bulbs, to compost to gardening gloves it's all down here. As you can imagine it's been here a while so it's not just seeds and slug pellets you can get here - but valuable knowledge and advice too! A wonderful little shop.

Like stepping back in time to 1950, you feel like Gary Sparrow (IMDb it), just don't go thinking if…read moreyou get two different woman pregnant it's not cheating just because they are in two different decades... Anyway, where was I...pretty classic, brilliant hardware store, where the staff (owners?) are always willing to help you, however DIY disabled you might be. I went in looking for a mop and after a long and thrilling discussion about whether to go for the 'Ferrari' of mops, made from cloth, or the 'Old-world' mop, made from string...I bought a sponge. The point of that story is, just imagine trying to have a conversation with the staff in a larger cooperate hardware store; some 16 year old moped driving rude boy would be as much use as a wet fart on laundry day. But it's not just mops and mop chat, oh no, I don't think any shop could pack more stock into a space this size. Spray paint, brass door knobs, hinges and a key cutting service all delivered by a fatherly bearded man. Perfect.

As soon as I walked into this grand furniture showroom on Whiteladies Road, despite the fact that…read moreit's a chain, I thought of the houses on the Downs. Can you imagine living in one of those beautiful mansions? Oh wow. Suffice to say, if I owned one of those houses, I'd furnish it with pieces from Wesley Barrel, especially one of their floral print classic sofas. Also not to be missed is their magnificent dining range. Be careful though; grand furniture for a grand house, or it could end up looking a little dated and stuffy.

From the frames of each bit of furniture being hand crafted from seasoned wood to the springing,…read morepadding and covering - each item of furniture here is made with love and care. It may carry a price tag that looks more like a phone number, but in this place it's really worth it. Sofas, armchairs and dining accessories the same - everything about this place oozes charm and sophistication. This is the sort of thing Country Living thrives upon. And so it should. Bravo.

One of my favourite shops on Gloucester Road, La Ruca is filled with ethical and tasty treats…read more Among their stock they have a whole host of herbal teas, hundreds of aloe vera products and vegetarian friendly sweets. But the best thing about La Ruca is it's range of fresh Mediterranean foods from stuffed vine leaves to garlic olives. The warm, friendly lady behind the till always has the energy to raise a smile and wish you a good day - which is one of the reasons I love La Ruca.

A good place to take your vegan/veggy friends for a light lunch or coffee and cake the cafe carries…read moreon the hippie feel of the shop downstairs using organic and fair trade ingredients plus lots of gluten free options. It has some nice Spanish original foodstuffs. The shop is a surprisingly useful with a choice of the Ecover products and a ridiculous selection of tea of the flowery kind.

The handy man's dream- Travis Perkins sells everything you would need to build a house, or repair…read moreit at least. The oddly placed trade counter sits next to dominoes back from the street, and usually has a lorry backing out. This is your best spot to find tools and materials if you have just moved to in or are repairing some gone wrong DIY.

On a side street at the bottom of Whiteladies Road, F C Searle Electrical is an old style hardware…read moreshop, the sort not often found anymore. As seems to be the style with shops like this, they've packed in a lot of products in a small space, giving a nice feeling of busy hecticness, though each time I've been in the gentleman behind the counter has been pretty relaxed and friendly. The sort of place you can pick up a fuse, light bulb, or bigger electrical goods like an iron or radio. The beauty of shops like this is the price - they'll invariably do you a better deal than the megastore chains, especially if you take the time to have a chat and perhaps a little bargain with them. It's all about supporting the little guys - so next time a light blows be sure to visit Searle & Co.

Specalising in electrical appliance accessories this is a true corner store - although very small…read morein size, they always seem to have everything you need. We are constantly amazed that whenever we can't find something anywhere else, Searle & Co have more often than not come up trumps. On the rare occasion that they can't help, the friendly man points us in the direction of another brilliant one-man-band store who can. The traditional little bell on the door is always chiming so I think everyone else has also realised this little gem shining next to all warehouse versions popping up all over the place.

There are obviously a plethora of charity chops around Bristol (and indeed here on East Street…read morealong) and generally speaking what you get in each one from day to day is down to the luck of the draw. This one, however, is a bit different as it concentrates solely on home furnishings and electronics. Basically they've gone to the trouble of selecting all the best donations of this kind and stocking them here. Because of the extra trouble they've gone to the prices are perhaps a little higher than your average charity shop, but they are saving you time and the money of course still goes to a good cause. If you need some home furnishings, this is one of the few charity shops in the city that it's worth traveling a distance to have a good browse in.

The British Heart Foundation is a national charity that supports research, prevention and care of…read morethose with heart diseases. A specialist charity shop where they have gathered together all the electricals and furniture donated into one big shop. You can pick up toasters, TVs and a bed all here. Items are very good quality and all electricals have been tested.

Fired Earth, just off the main drag of Whiteladies road and next to the giant purple cocktail bar…read morethat is Sasparilla, is rather more sophisticated in it's decor. Specialising in those glossy tiles that you find in country kitchens behind the Agar, in the loo, or underfoot in the larder, they have a massive range to match most budgets. They are definitely something quite original, set apart from the usual B&Q or Homebase and you can definitely find something that is just right for your home. They're also very environmentally conscious, ensuring their products are locally sourced.

Have you ever picked up and flicked through a Fox and Hounds or Country Living magazine in the…read moredoctor's? Ever seen their lovely overly homely homes and wonder how they achieved that with some tins of Dulux from B'n'Q? Well they didn't. Fired Earth is the B'n'Q in high society and it is here where those who have a few more coins in their pocket come to get their DIY gear. Everything from pots of paint to ceramic tiling accessories - it's all here. As mentioned this stuff really is the highest quality, so at least the extra money is paying for an extra something. A very snazzy place indeed.