Think Provincial Home Living without the exorbitant high price tags, and you've got a good idea of…read morewhat Fusion Loft is all about. Contemporary, modern pieces, orient inspired themes or go back to the Victorian era, any sort of theme for home decor and interior design is located at Fusion Loft. Every piece is classic and therefore the shop is quite eclectic in style; it's not overladen with useless junk, they stock furniture and furnishings that are unique and of high quality. At the moment I'm in love with black and white canvas prints, Fusion Loft have a beautiful assortment of famous landmarks and Hollywood glamour prints including Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. Check out the range of chest boxes also. Parisian designs, Audrey Hepburn in black and white and many other themes; they're all just beautiful and a very crafty way of storing away unsightly objects in your home that have no other place to live. Beautiful lighting and antique furniture, as well as jewellery. If I could live in this shop, I would.

If retro trinkets, cut crystal and random antique ornaments are your cup of tea then make hast to…read moreHeidelberg Road Vintage Bazaar. This place is loaded with them, with dozens of cabinets choc-full to suit all sorts of tastes and wild collecting habits you have. If you're after retro furniture, the you should try your luck as there is an okay selection here, though it's in no way as vast as the trinkets on offer. The prices seem reasonable, perhaps because this isn't hipster territory so do pay a visit if you're in the market for something cool for our house.

Granny's Market is a antique dealer filled with loads of cool vintage items that could turn a room…read morefrom boring to interesting with one fowl swoop. It looks like an old rooftop attic that's covered with cool antiques like you see in the movies. Some of could be seen as junk, some of it is amazing and some things you look at and just WANT IT! I saw this really cool old bike for sale and they had amazing old lamps that would look perfect in an outdoor courtyard. I feel like a lot of Melbourne cafes and restaurants would love a place like this to decorate their venue so it could look fashionable and cool. This trend has extended to peoples houses where I love having vintage decorations to make our home pop. Worth a look if you're into the old, vintage style.

Newly opened furniture store on City Road, just a few meters down from the easily recognizable…read moreKing's Furniture, the content of Picci could not be more different. A retro 70's inspired colour scheme seems to be evident throughout, with the soft geometrical shapes in hues of bright orange, lime green and magenta. The building seems to be some kind of warehouse conversion and offers a range of furniture such as couches, coffee tables and foot stools, as well as funky lighting fixtures, lamps and decorative pieces. Even if not looking to buy something Picci is still worth a look if you have time for a quick browse. The bright colours will give you if nothing else a hit of inspiration to take with you on your day.

What a gorgeous shop front. Those windows! And that's just the exterior…read more Inside, it's even better. The ground floor is full of mint condition mid-20th-century furniture. Beautiful pieces of furniture in such good nick can demand a high price and they do. Knowing I can't afford much on this floor, I usually cast a quick glance over the goods just as a treat to my eyes, and then head up the stairs to the vintage clothes. I'm always pleasantly surprised by the prices here. For this location on Smith Street, the stall holders could really ask for more for their vintage finds, but they don't, and I for one, am not only grateful, but feel vindicated for being annoyed at retailers for upping the price tag just because they can. This is how it should be done. Beautiful store filled with earthly delights for all the enjoy (and possess).

A treasure trove of antiques and vintage furniture, if you wanted the decor of Mad Men all you need…read moreto do is visit the Smith Street Bazaar. Beautiful tables, sleek chairs and intricate sideboards are scattered throughout the enormous store. There are also some fantastic lamps, tea sets and vases, that look as thought they belong in your grandparents houses in the 1950s and 1940s. Up towards the back is a modest clothing section that has a great range of shoes, bags and accessories too (90s backpacks are back in people!). They also have an impressive range of costume jewellery. It isn't surprising that the Smith Street Bazaar always has some devoted retro fans or artists crawling through and marveling at the woodwork or kitsch posters. Last week I was very tempted by a slick wooden chair that was low, sexy, and remarkably modern, but with a price of $700 (quite reasonable for a quality piece but a mere dream to a student), I unfortunately had to kiss that beautiful piece of work goodbye. One day when I have an income and a house, I'll buy some furniture from the Smith Street Bazaar. But until then, it's always a pleasure to just look.

This little bargain store is absolutely jam packed with goodies! It's hard to miss with all the…read morecolourful bric-a-brac out the front, Fast Eddies is fantastic if your after party supplies such as costumes, balloons, coloured plastic cookware etc. You can pick up a great dress up for any occasion. They also stock a good collection of cheap jewelery, plastic tupperware and photo frames, if your after a bargain you can't go past Fast Eddies.

Fast Eddie's is the bargain store to end all bargain stores. Rows upon rows of largely useless…read moreknick knacks abound and you can find yourself stuck in there for hours. But where this place really excels, is costumes. For under $15 you can find yourself a complete a complete fancy dress outfit. No point in spending mountains for something you're never going to wear again. Been searching everywhere for a sexy nun costume (a contradiction in terms so you'd think)? This is the place for you.

An expensive mausoleum for mid century furniture and vintage clothing…read more Ok ok that may be a bit harsh, but I did feel as if I needed a loan just to walk in the door. The prices are staggering but the clothing is actual vintage designer pieces, as well as the generic check and flannelette shirts. Their leather boots are slightly overpriced as I have found similar at other vintage traders and one of the many vintage markets around Melbourne cheaper. Their selection of industrial and mid century designer pieces is amazing....as reflected in the price tag. There is a lot of stock, but without the usual junk, there is an obvious attention to detail and selectiveness in their sourcing. Chrome lamps, danish furniture, leather chairs, wall hangings, clocks, medical paraphernalia etc adorn the shelves and walls quietly whispering for your attention. It feels as though they have done the hunting for you as the calibre of stock for a vintage store is almost unparalleled. This may be a big call however they do stock the kind of unique pieces that other vintage traders would sell their taxidermied mothers for.

This is a great antique centre. Like most it has several small retailers that sell their own goods…read moreat their own prices as well as the owner who has the majority. Overall this is a well stocked venue with new stock arriving several times a week and prices may not be the absolute lowest you'll find but you can be sure you're getting what you pay for (unlike some more suburban alternatives)

This is my favourite destination along Maling Road…read more What once used to be an old theatre is now bursting with antiques and knick-knacks. The space is enormous and yet every square inch has got something fascinating hanging or place there. The beautiful old decorations of the theatre and the ceiling are merely a backdrop to the treasure troves you can hunt through. There is a large collection of porcelain and china, they always have beautiful glassware, and some interesting medals and maps near the front of the store. Keep your eyes out for some great pieces of jewellery in the glass cases, and up the back there's a small collection of clothes. That's about as organized as it gets. Furniture including beautifully maintained tables, chairs and sideboards line up along the walkways and prints depicting anything from a landscape or garden to a vintage 70s woman are scattered on the walls and in piles. The owners are extremely useful when it comes to locating something. They have a mental map of the hall that is baffling, and they are always up for a chat about the origins of something that has found their way into the store.