This shop must be serving a very niche market, which perhaps explains why they only open three days…read morea week. Inside it's, well, a little baffling, honestly. It's not that I dislike what they're selling particularly, but it just seems very over-priced. The vibe is brand new shabby-chic mixed with a bit of imitation retro...both of which are fine, but mixed together it all feels a bit inauthentic and plastic. On the cheaper end of things, there are some nice gift ideas...candle sticks and glass sets etc., but the bigger items- furniture, tables, mirrors and the like, seem extortionate! However, its highly possible that £230 for a painted mirror is normal- maybe I'm just suffering from residual student thriftiness. Maybe.

Just off Preston Circus by the Duke of York Cinema, Ashton's is a rather mysterious and intriguing…read moreshop. It's the kind of place that you walk past and stare in the window, checking out the eclectic goods on offer like a kid looking through a sweetshop window. It's certainly not a standard antique/gift shop - they sell a range of items, but including lots of crystal, white painted furniture, pretty but stylish ornaments, paintings...... Everything they sell seems to be light coloured and a little shiny, and there is a fair amount of tat, but also some quality to be found. My friend bought a lovely antique ironwork garden furniture set here.

I first stumbled across Yashar Bish on what had been a long, labourious and fruitless search for a…read morefriend's birthday present. I was mesmerized by some grogeous little lanterns hanging in the window and when I noticed the amazing textiles inside, I had to go in and take a look. As you walk in, you feel as if you're entering a Middle Eastern bazaar (only without the noise and hustle and bustle!)...there are beautiful prints everywhere you look: floor, wall and shelf. The place has so much atmosphere, you can almost smell the hookah smoke! That said, it also very tranquil, a really nice place to mosy about admiring rugs, curtains, cushion covers and more. The items are mostly sourced from Asia and the Middle East and they get new stock in quite regularly, so its always worth popping in for a look. They have a beautiful selection of hand-made mugs- I bought some for myself and they are really lovely to drink coffee from. It's worth checking if they have any damaged ones, as they will be reduced to £3 (less than half price)- an absolute bargain!

Staying on a home tip, Yashar Bish is a unique shop that sells distinctive rugs, carpets and…read morefurniture from Turkey, Central Asia and the Middle East. Everything is lovingly sourced by the owners on their travels and the stock ranges from deep colours to rich patterns. If you've already got your floors furnished, they also sell a small selection of wooden cabinets, drawers, throws, blankets, cushions, photographic prints and Eastern lamps.

Only found this shop due to Past Times closing and it is nearby. Knockout perfumes and aromas exude…read morefrom the door as you pass by, which leads to you to have a perusal. Well worth it too, for their are some bargains to be had, especially in todays economic climate!! Made up baskets and bags of all sorts of goodies to be had at reduced prices. I use these smellies in my garage and shed! but fun.

This shop is now the 'Yankee Candle Shop'. It has a huge range of Yankee Candles and all the…read moreaccessories such as tart holders, votive holders etc. If anyone hasn't tried Yankee candles before I highly recommend them. The scent (of most) of the candles is gorgeous and lasts for a very long time. I have had one of their big candles and burnt it regularly for hours at a time and it has lasted for at least 8 months. The shop has a 'scent of the month' and this is always at a 25% discount. If you belong to their loyalty scheme you get invited to events at the shop. Although the candles seem initially expensive they are good value for money as they last such a long time.

Great shop with great stock. This place seems to have a permanent sale!! Fabulous useful household…read moreitems at ridiculous prices. Easy access and parking.

For Georgian antiques, head to Petworth. For prime pieces and an education about them, head to…read moreThakeham Furniture in Golden Square. In 2019, I purchased a mahogany chest of drawers and a small mahogany Pembroke work table. They were of fine quality and if available in the US would have cost three times as much. Shipping was flawless and I received my pieces in about 2 weeks. Late last month I purchased a small mahogany bow front chest all done via email. Correspondence was brisk, direct and very pleasant. The chest now sits in an upstairs study and is so absolutely perfect you would think it had sprouted directly from the floorboards. I have purchased from other dealers and they have been costly mistakes. It is easy to get the purchase of antiques very, very wrong. Thakeham operates with the highest integrity. They offer tremendous value for money. They have become trusted advisors. I recommend them without reservation.

Owned by the same peeps as Igigi General Store and Cafe a few doors away, this lovely boutique…read morespecialises in elegant and stylish womenswear. Refreshingly, they stock sizes 8 to 18 and their niche seems to be classic dresses, skirts, trousers, shirts, blouses, jumpers and dresses made from beautiful and ethical materials. Turning it into a one-stop destination for shoppers in a hurry, they also sell shoes, bags and accessories. Designers include Beyond Skin, Sam Ubhi, Ally Capellino, Best Behavior, Hartford, Anna Nygards and Anouk. If you see something you like and it doesn't quite fit, they also provide alterations and styling advice. If they could make me a size smaller, I'd buy my whole wardrobe from there!

As with the I Gigi general store a few doors down, their women's boutique leaves me in two minds. I…read morelove some of the labels they stock- most with ethical stances, great mixes of classic and avant-garde, particularly Humanoid, Beyond Skin, Fillipa K- admittedly expensive brands. The women's boutique has a harder edge to the decor which is welcome after the crisp clean neutrals of the homestore, yet ultimately, combined with the stiff staff, comes across as snooty.

This shop is very good for classic yet contemporary jewellery to suit alot of tastes. The customer…read moreservice is excellent as the staff do consultations, rather than simply assist you. They are also open about their 28day refund policy which means you can return items if they were unsuitable.

The first things I noticed upon entering Florentin (other than the delicious smell! It could have…read morebeen a bakery...) were the douvet slippers in a basket on the floor. I immediately wanted to put them on and curl up in front of a fireplace somewhere. They were the cosiest things I've ever seen. Other slippers - the knit variety - were close by, but the majority of things on display on the ground floor were stuffed animals in various genres. The best was the large deer head mounted on the wall - a tongue-in-cheek approach to taking the violence out of such images. The basement contained clothing - mostly skirts and dressier tops - with sale items left for the far, back room. In here were cheaper articles of clothing and a few stragglers on shelves. I was confused by the knit egg-cosies...I think mine are doing alright in the carton.

Maybe I caught this place on a good say, but I couldn't believe the value of some of the designer…read moreclothes in here! Replete with plenty of trendy items (and a no bags downstairs policy) Florentin is the quintessential, upmarket Brighton clothes store. While Dirty Harry's and To Be Worn Again are rocking the second hand world, Florentin stocks one of a kind items that are brand new and immensely stylish. If you can't get it in your size, you'll have to hang your head and sigh. The jacket I picked up was marked down from the £100+ mark to (get this) £25! I was ecstatic, as not only did it look uniquely amazing, but it smelt fantastic, and think that the fact I can't do it up its so small just makes it that bit more awesome! Anyway... enough rambling about that, Florentin stocks caters for all audiences with a mix of men and women's clothing and accessories. You can find bags and shoes as well as immense jackets, and while the slightly haphazard layout may irritate some, it makes it a great place to do some window shopping, and maybe walk away with a great buy if you're lucky.