Environmentalists should steer clear of Light Settings…read more I couldn't estimate how much energy they must use on a daily basis but let's just say they have an obscene number of lights switched on from early morning to late afternoon. Lord knows how the staff cope being surrounded by hundreds of chandeliers, ceiling lights, spot lights, wall lights, table lights, recessed lights and uplighters all radiating electricity. Ten minutes walking round the store was enough to give me a slight headache! To make matters worse, the majority of the stock in Light Settings is so chintzy and old fashioned it hurts. There are some modern designs scattered around but they tend to be the kind of lights you'd see in a restaurant or hotel rather than at home. Guess I'll be sticking with my Kartel lamps and Habitat i-spy chandeliers!

I would not advise to check out Light Settings during a migraine or hangover (not that lamp…read moreshopping is something you might feel like doing on those days anyway.) My point is, it's a tad bright, and the shop's electricity bill must be astounding. Lighting options include chandeliers, table and desk lamps, tall reading lamps, spotlights, those touch-to-dim lamps and decorative outdoor lighting. There are a few lava lamps and fibre optic creations, but mostly, the shop specialises in grown up, slightly dull home furnishings. Accessories like lamp shades and light switches are also available in multitudes. I'm not sure why this shop was so ridiculously busy, but it certainly was. Perhaps 20% is an enormous discount in the world of lighting.

Good quality stocks available on Arrow Electricals. I would highly recommend this store to anyone…read morewho is looking for high quality electrical products.

Thank you fine people at Ryness for hooking me up with an inexpensive electrical converter (mine…read moredied) allowing me to breathe life back into my computer while at a trade show. Not only was the cost under five pounds, you let me open it up and test it to make sure it gave me laptop charge. About 3/4 mile from the Olympia.

Until I went in InHouse Space yesterday, I'd always assumed it was a bed shop selling different…read morebases and mattresses. I now know it's actually an ethical home store that sells a mix of furniture and home decor. Based on Gloucester Road in the North Laines, it's a medium size shop surrounded by cool design shops, fashion boutiques and jewellery stalls. Admittedly, a lot of the space is taken up by a variety of wooden beds but they also sell stylish and environmentally friendly sofa-beds, chairs, lamps, cushions, bed linen, wine-racks, umbrella stands, silicon coat hooks and kitchenware. The thing I loved most about the shop however, was it's collection of London Bus blinds. You can buy these framed from £125 a pop and they look fantastic. The only question is, which number and destination? London Bridge or Brixton? Gotta be Brixton, right?: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiQoq-wqZxg

InHouse Space is a small bed and bath shop, made a bit smaller by the two beds on display. I was…read moremore interested in the home décor items, like the clocks made from recycled coffee cups (!) the mugs and money banks with the instantly lovable sheep character, "Herdy." Prices were a bit on the steep side (mugs were £10 each) but I did see a couple bargains hidden in the mix: Recycled wool blanket for only £20. The selection, like the shop, is small, but they do have a website you can order from - or use for a sneak peek at the style.

The stuff in Factory Outlet is so cheap, I felt a lot of pressure to buy things I don't need (and…read morehave no room for) just because they were SO CHEAP. Do I really need a full length mirror? No, but it's only £8! What about a cool black and white print of John Lennon? No, but it's only £8! Not everything was £8, but it was all cheap. Incense - 99p per pack. Cushions (nice ones!) £3 - £7, depending on size. Furniture included kitchen table and chair sets, night stands, foot stools, comfy chairs and couches, and I don't think anything was over 500. Near the back were tonnes of rugs in various sizes and for various rooms. Smaller items like dishware (a full set for £8! ... Maybe they did a study and 8 is the price that sounds like a really good deal to most people), jewellery boxes and clocks were also cheap. The key is that nothing really looks like it's from a bargain bin - or, won't once you take it out of the shop. I say, check it out.