Home Zone is all about interior design for the kind of person that knows what they are looking for,…read moreand doesn't need to leave it all to a designer, (although I bet that interior designers use Home Zone just as much as we do, for both inspiration and ideas, as well as purchasing their products and services). Home Zone have only been around for five years, but have established themselves really quickly, and are generally considered to offer us a benchmark of what is both tasteful and innovative. In addition, Directors Jayne Bishop and Sean Kerr offer a full and attentive service, which has also gone a long way to augment their standing. Specialising in made to measure curtains and soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, and tracking with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, they draw on their combined 40 years of experience, which puts them in the enviable position of being able to work with trusted people that they have had regular dealings with over the years. These days they have a dedicated, highly experienced team of sewers, upholsterers and fitters who work alongside them, as well as a network of crafts people who can be commissioned to make accessories when required. Some of the beautiful things that the crafts people make are amazing, and prove that everything is possible! Using every material imaginable, and every technique available, they are able to produce practically anything you could dream of for the house and home. Home Zone can do conventional as easy as falling off a log, but where they excel is when they are pushing creative boundaries and coming up with unique solutions for clients that have a real appreciation of what is possible.

From the owner: We are a small, local, team of specialist curtain makers, upholsterers and fitters and we offer a…read morefabulous service, providing you with made to measure soft-furnishings, upholstery, blinds, shutters and tracking along with a comprehensive measuring and fitting service, to make the whole process a bit easier for you!

Like most of the stores that have recently opened in Mumbles, I'm incredibly impressed with The…read moreMulberry Bush (what a fab name).

If I had a thousand pounds to decorate my room, I would come to Sense…read more Very contemporary, very chic, very nice! I couldn't help but feel a little in awe wandering round this shop, they have thought of just about everything from furniture, to decoration, lighting of every kind even garden accessories. At the moment they have some huge, and I do mean huge, cups and sauces outside which I assume you would plant a pretty plant in, though they looked way to good to put soil in if you ask me! As well as quite extravagant things they do have a good selection of affordable bits and pieces ideal from presents or to brighten up your room, like picture frames, fairy lights, and statement cushions! Not everything in here is to my taste, I think you will either love or hate some pieces but it's definitely work popping in on your way past.

"DO NOT ENTER if you have a dreary, grey, misty, Autumn outlook, as you may be distressed by the…read morecontents of this shop and might have convulsions". This sensory warning should be displayed prominently at the door of the excellent shop - 'Sense Clifton' - all bright and glittering, colourful pinks, blues and shiny metals. On the other hand, if you have a sparkling magpie persona, fine. Or if you just want to be shocked out of your November torpor, come to Sense for a quick fix. You dont have to buy anything, just browse and you'll fell much better. Though of course, the owners would also feel much better if you did buy something, so why disappoint - they will have done you a good turn. According to some blurb, Sense "...offers a smart mix of design-led products with a contemporary edge...". Apparently, the owners' frequent trips to Holland have given them a new perspective on design. They wanted to attack all the senses and create a complete home environment, everything from comfortable leather seating, exciting lighting and soft furnishings to unusual gifts. Pay a visit yourself, check it out, but take heed of the sensory warnings - highly recommended.

I love this store, so many lovely things for the home and lovely surprise bits of jewellery or a…read morelovely scarf, always something adorable

I love this store, I am madly in love with about 3 of the windchimes on display here, I already…read morehave 2 from here - there are only so many chimes a person needs, but they are so pretty. I know nobody needs a geisha snowglobe in their life but again, its hard to resist when you are surrounded by cute trinkets! It isn't just cute and silly, it sells some nice accessories. I got a bag from here which got loads of compliments. This is a great place to buy some pretty pretty gifts or just treat yourself to something fun.

Evolution is a gift shop in The Galleries in Broadmead. I think this is my favourite shop to buy…read morepresents from thus far! They used to be quite a Balinese style gift shop buy quickly has moved towards a more Brittania, cutesy and kitsch feel lately. I would happily decorate my apartment with the stuff here. There are great welcome mats here that I've been eyeing up recently that look really well made and are affordable too, at £12. They have a few pieces of kids wooden furniture, some chairs sold here are so very cute, with carvings of animals on the chair backs- however I have no children to buy them for as yet! A few presents I have bought here are their rustic metal gifts; like wall clocks made to look antiquey and wall hangings with old style postcards printed on them. I bought my best friend one that said 'live well, love much, laugh often', which she loved. When on sale, I bought a huge amount of candles here which lasted me ages, and smelt great (they were mighty cheap). I could go on talking about the many various things they sell, but the best is if you keep this place in mind to check out for when you next need a gift!

Homesense has a real hotch potch (proper phrase?) of household furniture and items available to…read morebuy; from the extremely tacky to the rather tasteful you never quite know what you're going to find. I was particularly impressed by their bedding selection; they had duvets by brands such Cath Kidston and Designers Guild selling for around only £30, which is quite incredible (though absolutely infuriating for me as I've just spent a fortune on Designers Guild bedding from the brands website). Additionally they had a massive selection of photo frames, in wide range of varieties, in my opinion these would make great gifts for those it's trick to by for. I wasn't to keen on the actual furniture available in Homesense (mainly just small chairs). The quality just did not appear quite good enough, and many of the pieces looked rather tacky. I was surprised to find that they also sell a small range of specialty foods. Nothing to grand, mainly pasta, olive oil, and Italian biscuits, but they're brands that you won't find in your local supermarket. I've really only touched the tip of the ice berg, Homesense just sells so much! It rather reminds me of TK Maxx, you need time and patience, but you could come away with some real bargains!

Now that The Pier has sadly left our little Welsh lives forever, Habitat is the next best thing for…read morehigh street home furnishings and furniture. This is a giant and unmissable store located in The Hayes in the centre of Cardiff, near to all the new glory of St. David's 2, yet still I speak to local people who don't seem to know where it is. I'm sure you'll be fine though; Yelp is populates by sensible people. Habitat is great for items such as picture frames, vases, cushions and candle holders, as well as larger items and items that you didn't even know existed before. But now you must have it. They go in for quite a modern style; combining sleekness and practicality with traditionalism and ethnic designs. If The Pier and Ikea had a lovechild, it would be called Habitat. My mother is now pointing out that habitat apparently came first (?), but I'm sure you know what I mean despite her confusing the issue. Although Habitat can be quite pricey, it's a great place to go for cheaper frames and small items. If you're ever stuck for a mother-in-law type of present, this would be a great start.

I'm a big fan of interior design, so I have a real soft spot for Habitat. This furniture here is…read moretrendy with a capital T, if you like traditional items this is not the store for you. The pieces available for purchase are incredibly modern, I recently purchased a glass desk from here, and it really has become a key feature in my office. I must admit the prices are rather high, but the uniqueness and quality of the furniture in my opinion really justifies this. On the cheaper side of things they do sell a wide variety of clip frames (both glass and Perspex), which are often on sale and great for art lovers.

This is a beautiful little shop that is quite unexpected due to its slightly hideaway location and…read moremodest frontage. When you walk into Hamptons you know that you've found a little bubble of quality in Penarth. They sell a wide range of home, garden and gift ware. Ranging from bath bombs to tables and chairs. The space is decorated superbly, and is a pleasure to be in as you potter around. Their items for sale are all of a high quality, and have price tags to match, but you would get what you paid for at Hamptons. There is a great little cafe upstairs, The Blue Pelican Cafe (which I've also reviewed), so Hamptons is a lovely little place acting as getaway from the hustle and bustle of Windsor Road. However, this is not really the kind of place you could go and relax for hours at a time with a book. This is the kind of place where women take tea; take heed, and be careful not to break anything.

Wowee! This store sells the most beautiful items and as a big fan of interior design, I'm already…read moreplanning my next trip. What I particularly adore about this shop is that most of the pieces available are completely unique, and I haven't seen them available to purchase elsewhere. One word of warning though, avoid buying the birthday cards; at £6 they're far too pricey (there's nothing particularly special about them) and I guarantee the person you give one to will not appreciate it's value.

Calico is located at the Newport end of city road and close to many other competing fabric stores,…read morewhat set this store apart from the competition is the type of material available that Is more suitable for furniture upholstery and home décor such as curtains. There is a range of lighter materials but nothing close to the volume as Terry's or Butteryfly fabrics can offer. The shop also sells a range of furniture and this reflects the heavier materials on sale. The Calico sales people adds just the right amount of helpfulness to the shopping experience allowing you to browse, until you engage them with questions. As home improvement or curtain retailers go this ones got the smaller independent shop atmosphere providing the material for soft furnishings such as cushions, drapes, throws, upholstering etc.

Calico is a furniture shop but it is also a fabric shop. In case you hadn't yet realised I am a big…read morefabric shop fan. I couldn't make an outift for the life of me - unless it involved making holes in a bin bag, tying a belt round the middle and insisting I was creating garbage-bin-chic - but I do love to go and just look at and stroke fabrics. Is that weird? Regardless, this is the last of the fabric shops that we visited on City Road and it wasn't as much fun as either of the other two. The fabric was absolutely beautiful but it is more of a home improvement shop, than a fabric for dressing up shop. Having said that, it is beautiful and the prices are pretty good for what it is. The people who work there are friendly and I felt free to wander around for a while.