Bright Living is one of those shops which feels quite small but has an amazing amount of things to…read morebuy! Jewellery, pictures, candles, furniture, lighting, table ware and now, miraculously, clothes too! It's an upmarket little place but many of the lovely trinkets are surprisingly affordable. It's perfect for teacher's gifts, birthday presents, and treats for your own self too, because you're worth it of course! I love the big chunky bracelets and necklaces they do with lots of bling hanging off them - hearts and coins and that kind of thing. Bracelets are about £12 and necklaces £30ish so it's affordable and they look much more expensive than that. I also have a lovely chunky Perspex ring which cost me a rather purse friendly £7 and which I wear almost every day. Other good buys are the candles in tins. I bought one for the hostess of a dinner party I was going to and she loved it . Oh yes, must confess I bought one for myself too - cinnamon is a much better smell around the house than my boys' smelly trainers. The clothes are on the expensive side but would be perfect for a special occasion . I splurged on a jacket by Z Biz for a work function and it looks reassuringly expensive!

From the owner: The store offers Home Accessories, Furniture, Lighting, Wall Art, Mirrors, Home Fragrance, Gifts,…read moreJewellery and women's sleepwear. Other services include Interior Design, Soft Furnishings Design, Made-to-measure Upholstery and bespoke furniture.

Absolutely beautiful furniture, such unique pieces. The staff are very knowledgeable and…read moreexceptionally friendly!

Wow - Bright lights everywhere! Exclusive Designs is located just inside the Royal Avenue entrance…read moreof Castecourt, if you're coming in from the street on a sunny day don't bother taking your sunglasses off because Exclusive Designs is bright. There are so many shiny objects in this shop, physicists could use it to stage some sort of refraction or reflection experiment. Exclusive designs sell all sorts of home decorations, furniture, lamps, mirrors, vases and odd light fixtures. Looking at a few price tags it all seemed priced quite well and I noticed that they have payment plans available if you really want a bright red TV stand but just can't quite afford it this month. Exclusive Designs is not really to my taste but it is certainly popular in Belfast. If you're in to home decorations then pay them a visit - I'm sure you'll find something in their huge stock that you love.

I can totally understand why this shop is entitled 'The Barn'. It's got a kind of storage feel to…read moreit, and you can't really move too far without tripping over something, or bumping into that other thing. Especially if your name's Lynne... Crammed full of furniture, soft furnishings, candles, gifts and a whole lot more, The Barn is a tad overwhelming if you're trying to find something specific. I quite like a challenge (most of the time), but since it was wet and I was carting half of Donaghadee's shops around with me (it certainly felt that way), I was pretty fed up and didn't exactly feel like having to dig too much. Plus, I was totally aware of my being ever so slightly clumsy at the best of times, and not wanting to end up paying through the nose for breakages etc., I decided to look and not touch. That was until I spotted a cute cat tea towel, and instantly knew my mum would love it. Managing (somehow) to pick it up off the rail, I admired the pattern whilst hunting for the price. Ah, yes there it was...£5.95?! Heavens above. Maybe I'm a bit stingy, but I certainly wasn't paying that for a tea towel. Not a chance. Everything else seemed to be slightly pricier than I'd first thought, right down to the scented candles which started at £2. At this stage, I realised there were three likely-things-to-happen: 1) I knock something over. 2) I buy something. 3) I leave. The latter being the cheapest option meant it was instantly favoured (not flavoured, that's an entirely different thing altogether). I'm much too poor for such shops. Nice stock though...

Fiddlesticks is one of those shops which feels quite small but has an amazing amount of things to…read morebuy! Jewellery, pictures, candles, furniture, lighting, table ware - and many of the lovely trinkets are surprisingly affordable. It's perfect for teacher's gifts, birthday presents, and treats for your own self too, because you're worth it of course! I love the big chunky bracelets and necklaces they do with lots of bling hanging off them - hearts and coins and that kind of thing. Bracelets are about £12 and necklaces £30ish so it's affordable and they look much more expensive than that. I also have a lovely chunky Perspex ring which cost me a rather pure friendly £7 and which I wear almost every day. Other good buys are the candles in tins. I bought one for the hostess of a dinner party I was going to and she loved it . Oh yes, must confess I bought one for myself too - cinnamon is a much better smell around the house than my boys' smelly trainers. There are also small pieces of furniture - mostly painted shabby chic style which I love.

Besides being a cosy gift shop where you can find special cards and presents for various age groups…read more- many were directed at the 21 year milestone I noticed - there's also a picture framing service. They also sell ready made fine art prints which are displayed upstairs along with lamps and pine furniture. Upstairs has a completely different character to the ground level, where there are lots of silvery picture frames, bags, jewellery and small gifts including some incense sticks in lovely Chinese packaging which would have been a pretty gift even without the contents. The day I was there a girl was being treated to a cup cake stand, a Cath Kidston one, for her 14th birthday present. She and her mother were being well looked after by the friendly, helpful assistant. It's just the place for spoiling an important person in the nicest way, even with something small like bath stuff, candles, soaps and scented potions.

It's such a shame to see small local businesses like this going out of business! I wandered in here…read moreafter ready some great reviews and then seeing the huge 'closing down' stickers on the windows! I think this place is more a victim of it's location rather than anything else - I'm confident that if it had been in the city centre or the Queens Quarter it would have been a real success. The shop itself sell a whole range of vintage items including clothes (I spotted a wedding dress), board games (there's currently a vintage Monopoly Board for sale) and other trinkets. It's a real throw back and a fine example of a well maintained vintage shop. The good news is that it's still open until at least mid June so if I were you I'd get down there and grab yourself a unique bargain.

Love this place…read more Lots of vintage alt clothes. Also crafts etc from local artists that are good for presents. The shop is an enterprise linked to Mersey street church I think. There is a food donation basket usually outside the door for the community larder. There is also a change one room. Upstairs is a book shop called the Book Well also I think linked with Mersey street church. The shop is run by numerous volunteers.

Martha's provides an interior design service for people with plenty of cash but no style or time…read morebut what draws me in are the exquisite home accessories. Think napkin rings, mugs and storage baskets that you just cannot live without. Ditto cushions, place mats and table cloths. I simply don't know how I managed before I got my blue checked table cloth and napkins. What was I thinking? This is the kind of place where you buy yourself the occasional treat and get gifts for Christmas and birthdays. Mostly for ladies it has to be said, unless you know any men with a taste for matching table linen. And lucky you, as they sound like fun. The costume jewellery is also worth a mention - lots of chunky silver(ish) necklaces and bracelets at reasonable prices - around £30 for a long chunky necklace. There's a café upstairs which is on my list of places to go. I didn't make it upstairs on my last visit but the smells wafting downstairs were enough to convince me that it's gonna be good!

I was lured in to Doris and Jeanie today by the chalk drawn sign on the street outside, it said…read more'Keep it local' and being a fan of all things local I was in there like a rat up a drain pipe. When I got in I was amazed at all the bits and bobs but being a little bit clumsy I kept picturing myself knocking something over with one swing of my man bag and causing a domino effect. With this in mind I kept my distance from all the trinkets. There was a strong smell of varnish or paint coming from the back of the shop and when I had a closer nosey I noticed one of the staff was being all arts and crafty (technical term). I couldn't exactly tell what he was doing and he looked pretty focused so I left him to it. This is definitely the type of shop I would come back to if I was getting one of the females in my life a present. There's some nice home décor items and if you're going for the quirky vintage look in your home I would drop in to see what's on offer.

While I like to think I'm hip, show me a cutesy shop with niknaks and I'm through the door like a…read moreshot. Right in the middle of the buzzing Belmont Road this is one of those places. While it prides itself on chalk paint (they also do classes in how to use it) I don't have the patience to upscycle anything. I do love a look round though, as they have a wonderful selection of gifts for the home and if you are in need of any sort of candle holder or little clock or picture for the mantelpiece, this is the spot for you. They've opened an even bigger shop in town now, but for small, local service you'll find me in here, buried in cushions and trinkets.

Located opposite Urban Outfitters…read more Good place for gifts. Have quite a few local items. Expect to pay on certain items more than standard retail due to the handmade aspect. Lots of wee cute toys etc for kids. Also lots of house soft furnishings. It's the sort of place you would like to buy lots of stuff you don't need but it looks nice. Lol Lots of chalk paint colours can be bought in here. The shop is packed with gifts etc. You have to hoke a bit as its jammed packed with things laid out on wooden dressers and tables etc. It's a bit kitch compared to just browsing the rails. Shop has a sort of Cath Kidston feel about it.

This isn't you're average charity shop, the idea behind Vintage Glow is to regenerate old and used…read morefurniture or up style it in girly terms. They are really on point with this idea as this seems to be a real trend gripping Belfast. I popped in on Monday and some of the items they had on offer you would expect to see in High Street shop windows, the beauty of this place is that all the furniture is reasonably priced and not only that but it will be a one off. Glow isn't just a great shop but it's also a great cause - the idea behind GLOW is that it provides women from both communities the opportunity to develop confidence and self-belief through creation and craft. The beauty of this place is that you can either purchase items that are donated to the GLOW team or you can bring in your own tattered furniture for a makeover. I would definitely pop in for a look next time you're on the Lisburn Road - you could pick up a bargain and help a good cause.

Keens is a pretty cool interior design shop in East Belfast. The stuff on offer is pretty…read moreimpressive and although it is quite expensive, it's great quality stuff so worth the price- no boxed self build stuff in here! Its a far cry from Ikea! They obviously must be doing something right if they've been here for 40 years, especially as it's not exactly an upmarket part of town. I'd advice going in for a browse if you're doing a bit of decorating as the stuff is both beautiful and different!

Heading to find a sofa a couple of days after Christmas is not the way the OH wanted to spend his…read moreholidays, but I dragged him here anyway. Firstly, don't be put of by it's dreary location. Once through the doors you are greeted by a rainbow of colours, shapes and textures. A bit of a maze, with 3 massive floors there is loads to see and perhaps buy. I say perhaps as it is a good bit more expensive than the chain retailers, but what they do have is quality. If you are just looking to add a hint of style head towards the back of the ground floor where you will find all manner of trendy accessories to funk up the dullest living room at more reasonable prices. There was some cracking statues, which I really would have bought if the other half hadn't dragged me out. My VISA card thanks him.