My wife commissioned Greenheart to fit our kitchen at a cost of around £40,000. Without doubt, it…read morewas the biggest and most expensive mistake we have ever made. The initial meetings and design stage went ok. However, from the moment we made our first payment (of around 10k) things went downhill rapidly. Installation dates were continually put back, and once started, there were countless delays, all of which meant that we were without use of a kitchen for 9 weeks. We were told 3. But the worst thing - the quality. As time has gone on - and it was only completed two months ago - it has become clear that both the quality of materials used as well as the standard of workmanship are of the most basic level. Doors fail to close properly, there are gaps to the joins throughout, bits have fallen off. All in all, it resembles a less than successful amateur DIY project. I am not kidding when I say that if we had moved into our house with this as the existing kitchen, we would have ripped it up straight away and replaced it. When friends ask how much it cost, I lie because I am too embarassed to tell them the truth. It really is that bad. Please avoid Greenheart kitchens - there really has to be better options in Cardiff.

My husband and I spent months going around kitchen showrooms to try and find our ideal kitchen to…read moreno avail. We wanted a solid wood kitchen the wouldn't cost the earth. A friend mentioned she'd popped into a company's showroom, called Greenheart Kitchens and was full of praise for what she'd seen. As we are local we went along to their Bessemer Road showroom, and she was right, they had exactly what we were looking for. The shaker style of their modular kitchen range can fit any setting, traditional, country or contemporary, depending upon the colour, handles, worktops, etc. that you choose. The units are solid wood, have a hand painted "feel", look as good on the inside as they do on the outside and have proper hinges, to list just a few of the boxes it ticked for us. We had definite ideas about what we wanted and Greenheart were able to accommodate us; from colour matching our chosen shade of cream from a piece of painted wood I gave them to making us a bespoke slanted wooden draining board. We had the modular units in the main, but Greenheart were more than happy to make us a base corner unit to our spec. to fit in with our kitchen design. Steve and his team couldn't have been more helpful and patient; from our initial contact to the fitting of the units; which we opted for Greenheart to do. They did a great job. The kitchen has been fitted for two months, and we're really pleased, we have exactly what we wanted. We know we have a quality kitchen, that we feel will stand the test of time both in design and structure. It looks bespoke, without the usual hefty price tag.

Cowbridge Flooring Studios was where I used to go to buy my lino for making lino printing blocks…read more It's a trick I picked up at art college that has saved me a small fortune over the years. (Buying ready mounted lino blocks from craft shops is way more expensive!) They are a friendly bunch at Cowbridge Flooring Studios, and are always willing to help. They sell all manner of floor coverings too... carpet, wood, laminate, vinyl, rugs... you name it they've got it! Plus, they offer all of the allied services that go with fitting out a new floor, making them pretty much a one stop shop in the flooring department!

This shop always has a nice window display which displays bed linen - it seems to be changed quite…read morefrequently and often intrigues me to pop into the shop. There is a good range of curtains, linens and cushions etc. The items are good value and relatively inexpensive.

We came here as a house because we were looking for a new coffee table and some chairs. We didn't…read morewant anything expensive because we'd all be separating next year. However, still wanted to support a more local shop before heading over to Ikea. Unfortunately, when you are students the Ikea trip is almost inevitable. We didn't buy anything from here, partially because there was nothing that quite matched what we were looking for and partially because Ikea was just cheaper. When you're a student and having house parties, you have to consider how much you stand to lose in one raucous night. However, the service was great and I would recommend it to anyone looking to spend a little more (but still not much!).

Looking around Laura Ashley is like looking into both the past and future at the same time. There…read moreis a certain type of timeless style and cosy middle-class Britishness that seep from every corner of this store. In Cardiff's Queen Street Store, Laura Ashley is split between two levels. The ground floor has women's fashion, shoes and accessories. These clothes are clearly designed for the more mature lady, but there are the odd pieces that are beautiful enough in design to appeal to a far broader spectrum. Some of their dresses I'm thinking of in particular. Upstairs is the home furnishing department. And this is the bit really like. Their range of sofas, curtains and bedding are all made out of beautiful and superior quality materials. Their wallpapers are classic and beautiful; in short everything up on this floor is lovely. Yes, it's old fashioned, but it has an appeal that I don't think will go out of style for a long while yet.

Wonderful store, all of their pieces scream countryside kitsch and add a touch of warmth to any…read morehome. Good quality fabrics available for craft or sewing projects. They also do a fab range of clothing and jewellery. If Cath Kidston/vintage style is up your street then Laura Ashley is definitely the place for you. Excellent central location (Queen Street), also have fantastic sales too!

Carpets, rugs, flooring... for all your feets needs…read more My room has wooden (well fake wood probably) flooring, which is pretty snazy and modern, but unfortunatley in the winter it can be pretty cold. Not to fear though, Parade flooring sorted me out with a pretty cheap, thick and comfy rug, now my feet are warm... if they stay on the rug anyhow!

Whatever your flooring needs, Parade Flooring can meet them! Whether you are after a full carpet,…read moreor just a rug to cover a nasty stain from that crazy house party you had, you can be sure to get a good deal from the guys here at Parade Flooring! As well as this, the shop also boasts a huge array of floor types, so if you fancy decking out your bedroom with some brand spanking new linoleum so you can act like a five year old and slide around in your socks, or maybe you need some so that you can revisit your youth with some breakdancing, then get yourself along here! I got myhself a nice little rug to keep my feet warm when i get out of the shower, not entirely practical but oh so toasty!

With 100 years experience in the decorating industry in Wales, W J Gardner proudly declare…read morethemselves as 'Decorators Merchants' on their shop sign, and so seem to be targeting professional trade decorators and interior designers as well as perhaps individuals who are doing a spot of home improvement. Then shop has a fairly smart but old-fashioned look about the place, and offers a curtain make-up service, soft furnishings and accessories, paints, wall coverings and a whole host of carpets and fabrics. While they're a lot smaller than the huge out-of-town DIY stores such as B&Q, their remit is narrower and they're not trying to cover everything to do with DIY, so if you'd rather avoid the big warehouse type store and support independents, this is a good bet.

W J Gardner really caters more for a professional market of decorators than for people looking just…read moreto spruce up their homes. Well, that seems to be how they view themselves anyway and there's obviously nothing stopping individuals from doing their shopping there. Having said that, I felt a little bit like I was wasting someone's time because I only needed one can of paint (to paint a banner - not even for real home decoration...). The prices were about average and I would go back if I needed to but I'm not going to rant and rave about it to everyone.

This place is amazing! The food is sooo good especially the meat balls and hot dogs I really like…read morethe fun colors and the plushies I also find that the room displays are nice as well I really recommend coming here as they have something for everyone!

Ikea is an excellent furniture shop and everyone knows that but this review is about the food…read moreaspect more. The salmon was just plain and had no seasoning. The chips were cooked to the perfect degree and the carrots were just carrots. The apple pie is why this review is only 3 stars, it was like a solid block of cold apple with a glue consistency and didn't taste like a fresh apple pie. The food was fairly priced. If you don't like the sound of kids being loud I definitely would not recommend going to the Ikea restaurant around lunch time! This review is only for the food I ate.