Pleased with the standard of quality of this furniture, which is all at competitive prices.read more

Now I'm trying to keep up with the Jones. Their house is way too impressive for my liking. So I can…read moreeither move or do up my pad. I'm guessing the first one is plain stupid (well stupid is as stupid does) so I got y sorry looking butt down to Red Brick Mill. What a pleasant find it is too. They pride themselves on some of the North's leading contemporary designers and their furniture is sheer class. They are home to 35 cutting-edge designers and there is enough inspiration to keep even my motor mouth quiet for an hour or so. If you want to jazz up your lounge, no problem. Slick and chic sofas sit along side funky tables. You'll even find plush flooring, cookware and gifts. It's quite pricey but sometimes money does buy taste and it shows here. Add to that four cafes to refresh those flagging shopping legs and it's worth a punt. A definite reason to venture into Batley and spruce up the house in your life.

I love the name Ali Baba Carpets. It conjours up images of magic flying carpets and starry Arabian…read morenights. Very magical and romantic. Unfortunately the shop location and layout is not very glamorous or glittery like the images in ones head, but maybe that would be a lot to live up to. The shop contains two sections, one is mainly just rolls of different carpets and the other is full of sample books of other types of flooring, mainly laminate and water proof. They also sell a few other house furnishings such as cabinets, tables and chairs. The guy inside is friendly and eager to help, however I think the price was a little steeper than usual at £8.88 per square metre.

Yes, the name does conjure up some exotic and fantastical images and there are certainly a few…read morerichly patterned mats to be found inside that you could imagine flying through the air! The room you enter first has a wide variety of mats and carpets on display, from bathroom mats to mats for a large living room as well as carpet samples and rolls. The next room has yet more mats and carpets, samples of other flooring types, a few somewhat unusual sofas on display and catalogues from which similar sofas can be ordered. Upstairs is two rooms full of beds - mainly double with large, flat bases. The prices are varied - you could probably find a few bargains but some might be more expensive than you expected. It's the kind of place that's probably worth popping into if you're in the area and looking for carpets flooring or furniture but I can't imagine travelling a long way to visit it specifically...unless you like their very particular style of sofa (petite and patterned with quite elaborate detailing) as you might not find it elsewhere.

I came back here recently for a look as I'm a complete antique and vintage magpie and was…read morepleasantly surprised by how much easier it was to access the shop, in spite of all the snows. Out the front there was a hoard of goodies displayed, fully equipped with snow covers on the particulars that required it, and inside the shop was as ever full of furniture to peruse. I hadn't realised before, as there wasn't room for one to access the door, but there is a downstairs section too which is also full of items to glance over. The upstairs still has the infamous cobra-piece, which I'm no more tempted to purchase, but still enjoyed looking at it. They've numerous chairs, sofas, tables and more to have a gander at too, although nothing is priced so you have to ask the chap if you're interested in buying something. Downstairs there are a ton of different dining chairs and a few more antique items, such as a sweet writing desk, but on this occasion I didn't spot anything I particularly felt drawn to. I've no doubt I shall be back, there's too much temptation to keep checking the selections, but for the moment I've yet to make a spend in this place. You never know what hidden gems may lie within so I'd certainly recommend this as a place to visit if you're on the look out for some cheap and charming furniture.

An excellent little shop with a large selection of anything that could be reused in someone else's…read morehome after being sadly discarded. The pieces here do tend to be quite original and would create a lovely rag-tag chic in someone's home if you choose to select odd bits and pair them together yourself. Many a leather settee can be found on the forecourt of this shop and there's usually one or two bizarre unknown objects/ornaments to peruse and ponder what it could be. The prices are normally fair but sometimes a bit of a shock, there is a delivery service for larger items.

Furniture Exchange sells new and used furniture in a large warehouse on Kirkstall Road (near…read moreWoodrup Cycles). Furniture is mainly of the office variety including desks, filing cabinets, swivel-chairs, shelving and desk tidies. There is an area at the front of the shop as you go in which features only new furniture as well as information brochures and other bits and bobs. The reception area is nearby where you should find a member of staff - on my visit a nice, friendly man who explained the layout of the place and left me free to browse. The warehouse area is pretty vast and organised into navigable corridors with plenty of furniture piles up in between. The bloke explained that furniture gets progressively 'more second-hand' towards the back of the shop - which is handy. And lo I found that the furniture began looking brand new and right at the back there were some items that had clearly been used a lot, but still had life left in them. The priced reflect the conditions, so cheaper pieces will be found at the back. This is a great place to find affordable furniture if you're starting up a small business or kitting out your own place to work from home. And in these times of tightened purse strings, who wouldn't put up with a few scratches here and there for a decent price?

I recently attempted to set up a home office in our spare room and became very quickly…read moredisillusioned with the furniture I could find: it was either expensive, fancy, brand new 'systems' or ancient second hand units that looked like they'd lived in a teenager's bedroom for the last decade. Thankfully, I found this place, which as well as new, modern office furniture stocks a range of second hand professional equipment, so if you don't mind things looking a bit dated you can pick up good quality, functional furniture for a pretty good price. It's still not as cheap as somewhere like Poverty Aid, but it's a small price to pay to have an office space that isn't covered in stickers of Take That and the Beano.

I am really really looking forward to the day when I am living in my own house and I can furnish it…read morethe way I want. No landlords restricting painting, and enough space to put things that look nice and comfortable. This place on the outside just reads 'The Furniture Centre'. However, on their website they call themselves 'DFS - The Furniture Centre'. I am guessing this is so that they show up on search engines when people search for DFS Furniture, fair play to them. But they are not *the* DFS, so don't be confused between the two. Despite this they still offer a really good range of furniture, at a much cheaper price than the original DFS. Coffe tables, console tables, occasional tables, TV and media Units, storage units and book cases, tub chairs and arm chairs, dining room furniture, kitchen and bar furniture, mirrors, bedroom furniture, sofas and sofa beds can all be seen in their 4 showrooms. They also offer free delivery on purchases of over £1000.

This is a large superstore along the pedestrianised high street with loads of different varieties…read moreof furniture. Selections of various styles of beds, lamps, and curtains. Quite modern looking chairs with leather finish and contrasting fabric cushions, dining table and chair sets as well as outdoor furniture. The shop offers a small range of home office furniture, sofas and textile for various uses. All you need to a little home improvement. A delivery service is offered and there is also a comprehensive online shop.

I was absolutely in love with this place when I went in. You would be forgiven for not realising it…read moreexisted, as it is tucked away beyond a little alley in Otley and has only a small board advertising its existence, but I imagine if you are local to the town you'll know about it by reputation before you visit the location. I realised it was there by noticing the awesome hand carved dragon in the alley, which helped to advertise that it was there. Inside it is more of an amazing workshop/display warehouse that anything else, and for my furniture shopping I don't think I'd have it any other way. If you can visit an earthly, had crafted workshop over some stuffy, pretentious showroom I think I know which I'd prefer. You can see before you where each item has come from and you can, if nothing else, smell where it's come from - the air is full of that beautiful woody scent. The space is filled with exquisite coat and hat stands, dining tables, chairs, bureaus, corner units, desks, chests - you name it. Every piece was breathtaking and wonderfully made. Given the quality of the items on show I considered the prices extremely reasonable, they had a sale on at the time also, but for a complete dining table for up to roughly six (that was my estimate) it was only £500. You could pay a lot more than that for a lot worse, I know that much! Truly, for any home furniture of the highest quality and great prices, Pinecraft of Otley has got to be the one!

A real handicraft shop. There is nothing ornate or elaborate in here. Real craftsmanship is evident…read moreion the fine cabinets, dressers, draws and tables on display ion the showroom. Annexed to the showroom is a workshop and the waft of freshly cut pine drifts from the double doors. There is a van for deliveries and oak furniture is also available.

Inspirations 'Wallcoverings, Fabrics and Design' isn't in the most frequented area, being in a…read morerather remote location on the city end of Roundhay Road. The clue to its existence is a rather demure sign and a patchwork of wallpaper and fabrics covering the windows. This is a good indication of the interior as it really is collaged all over with an array of different wallpaper and fabric samples as well as curtains on rails. Shelves all round the room house folder after folder of wallpaper and curtain fabric samples, all of high quality and many with a lavish, sumptuous plush feel. There are also displays of curtain rails and hooks of a range of different styles. They also sell paint in a wide range of colours. This place would be heaven for any house-proud type who delights in choosing the precise style, colour and design of all their interior décor. There are wallpapers and fabrics here to suit literally any colour scheme and to appeal to most tastes. My favourite fabric was some luxurious-looking silk tartan in an array of jewel like colours and designs. Scrumptious!

Junk Again is another fantastic furniture place that doesn't require you be to snobby and rich to…read morepurchase their goods. I like Habitat, don't get me wrong, but really, why bother when you can get good quality furniture for much less. Especially if you are a student! Which is perfect for this area. Flocks of students come and go through Leeds, moving every year and needing to get rid of or attain furniture every time they do. Junk Again are aware of this and have cleverly positioned themselves not far from the postcodes that are predominantly student populated. If you are looking for a cabinet, a table, or arm chair, or are looking to get rid of, a fridge, a freezer, or chimney pot, Junk Again is a great place to go. They are slightly chaotic but that just adds to that old fashioned feel of shops of this type. Plus no-one will look down their polished nose at you as they so often do in Habitat.

When my friends and I moved house last year we opted for a grand four bedroom house that was…read moreunfurnished as it wold cost us a little less. That, sadly, was not the case in the end but that's more to do with the Estate Agent and building than anything else. However, pretty much the only thing that we required for our move was a sofa and some arm chairs. Enter: Junk Again! My old housemate had spotted Junk Again on her way through Woodhouse and suggested that we tried here for a cheap second hand suite. I was game for any bargain and so when she called me, all a fluster, to tell me about this awesome sofa, two arm chairs and a pouffe for a mere £40, I came immediately to the scene. Yes. That's right. All that for forty flippin' pounds. The friendly chap explained that he had planned to have them cleaned but hadn't yet, so was willing to let them go for that much - all we needed to do was clean them. No probs, Handy Hire in Headingley solved that one for us dirt cheap too! We couldn't have been more chuffed. Inside you'll find an array of lovely old furniture and the odd antique, for seriously cheap prices. My advice is: if you're moving look here first. I've a few more things I need myself so I'm planning a re-visit very soon...