If ever there was a business that had a sign that read "Buyer Beware' this is the business. My…read morewife asked me to shop for a gift for some friends. I chose an item, checked out, and proceeded to take it home. Well, as luck would have it my wife felt it was not what we should give, so I went back to Thornbloom and requested a refund. This was all of two hours after my initial purchase. At this point the clerk a said that the item was 'seasonal' and could not be returned. She then pushed aside a box that half covered an 8X10 sign taped to the counter that indicated that no returns of 'seasonal' merchandise would be considered. I had not been informed verbally of this policy when I checked out, nor did the receipt I was given state that the sale was Final. The half covered sign constituted notice, and I had not seen it when checking out earlier that day. So clearly Thornblooms had covered themselves legally, but they obviously failed Business Ethics 101. Now, many stores have this policy at this time of the year, but they display it clearly and usually mark the receipts as a Final Sale - not Thornblooms. I guess they feel they are above such common courtesy. I will donate the item to the Mission Mart at Bayers Lake and hopefully they will get a few bucks for it and that will go to a good cause - Souls Harbour. As for me, I will avoid this business as I would avoid the plague. I prefer to deal with people who actually run their business in an ethical manner.

I have never written an online review but the service I received at this store was so terrible, I…read morehad to write something. I ordered an item online for a holiday gift at the price posted online of $215. My order was processed and I received a confirmation email. When I called them just a few minutes later to find out some details about the item, I was told by the sales agent (Martha) that the item I was calling about was in fact definitely in stock, but not at the $215 price tag. Instead it was actually $515 (!!!). A few minutes after my call the item mysteriously disappeared from their website and I was told that they don't see that item at that price. At the request of Martha, I provided screen captures of my confirmed order, detailing the item that was bought, and the price at which it was purchased. At that point I was told to call the owner Debbie. Not only did Debbie refuse to honour the price at which I was able to place my order, she was completely rude and unapologetic, and kept saying repeatedly and alternately that: 1. "We don't have the item in the colour you ordered it in" 2. "We don't have that item in the store at that price" 3. "We are not obliged to honour prices on our website"!!!! This, despite the fact that the original person I spoke with had the item in her hand. I'm not sure how they've stayed in business as long as they have. If they had made even a tiny effort to keep me as a customer or extend any courtesy, I would have understood that mistakes happen. However, given that they would not own up to their mistake, confess that this was entirely their fault and gave me terrible excuses to avoid honouring the price that was on their website, has left me with a very bad experience.

If you buy a lot of materials and want your own sales rep this is the kent store to go to, they…read moreare great at delivering and picking up. your delivery fee is a lot less than other places too. One problem with kent is that if you buy something yourself and loose your receipt, just throw the materials out or sell second hand as they will not take them back.

Home Sense has usually let me buy really nice things for a fraction of the cost. We were in here…read morerecently for some Christmas presents. We found about 10 really nice gifts here. All in different departments. You can get some really good deals here. It is not a store where you should go away to think about if you want it or not. Chances are the item will not be there when you go back. Sometimes there are only a few items, and when they go, you are out of luck. So I have learned the hard way, If you see it and like it, buy it!

I like this store more than I realize. Normally when I'm looking for homey things, I automatically…read morehead to Home Outfitters or Sears. But Home Sense has some great deals. Those great deals also make it really easy to impulse buy. :-) We ended up here in a search for affordable bath mats. We found what we were looking for, then moseyed through the store because great deals. I've been coveting an enamel pot for a long time now, but they are too pricey for me. Why I never thought of checking Home Sense I don't know. Found a brand-name enamel pot for an incredible price. Exactly what I wanted. Home Sense has a unique selection of all things homey: kitchenware, bathware, decor, bedding ... they have it all. They have items and prices you just can't find at other stores in the area.

Good, reliable service every time. I've been using Deep Down for years and they always deliver…read more Every one involved in the company is friendly and helpful. They do their work with no fuss and leave my carpets in great condition. There was a big price jump this year, but I went with them anyway: I'm just not willing to risk using another supplier when I know Deep Down is always no drama and excellent service. Will use them again--obviously!

I had this company clean all my carpets and rugs. They damaged one of rugs (I think they used too…read moremuch heat) and one of my rugs was shrunk/puckered all over. They came back go pick the rug up a week later telling me they would keep the rug and reimburse me for it, but when someone finally called me back a few days later, they said they decided to fix the rug instead. They called me over a week later, to tell me they had fixed it back to brand new condition, but when they brought the rug back, it was still puckered and damaged. I told them i wasn't happy with the rug, so they took it away again. That was 2 and a half weeks ago and no one has even called me with an update. Really feels like I'm getting the run around.

Bed Bath & Beyond to me I though was a bathroom store but to my surprise when I walked in they had…read moreeverything. Yes the majority of the store focused on bathroom accessories, towels and shower curtains but as well they had bedroom duvet set, pictures everything. The Kitchen section was huge and great deals. Alot on sale and alot on clearance which was throughout the store randomly, it was great. I actually found those Yankee Car Sent things which are very hard to find and I got them three for $5.99. I really do like this store and can see myself going back for shower gifts or even presents for the girls as they have some really pretty things there. Picture frames are beautiful. It is hard to go into all these stores and not buy buy buy. Well I guess I need a house first that might be a start. Great Store!

If ever I fall into some terrible debt situation, it will not be because of the high price of…read moreeducation. No, it will be because I'm hopelessly addicted to home necessity stores like Bed Bath & Beyond. Like, seriously. I genuinely find it bewildering that the staff here don't instantly recognize me and let out a hushed, "Father's home..." as I walk in the door. I find myself in this store very often. Now, part of this is because I inherited a love for all things kitchen. Perhaps the greatest similarity between me and my mother is the fact that we both have an appliance or tool for pretty much any food thing you can think of. Need to crack and separate an egg at the same time, while keeping your hands clean? I've got you covered. Want to process a small amount of frozen banana slices to make ice cream? Use my mini food processor. (Use my regular food processor for larger batches.) Baking some cookies? Don't worry, I have enough Silpats for you to bake continuously for about five months. It should be obvious that a store like this is a clear danger to my bank account. Unfortunately, I have a car and no self-control. I should get to the actual review part of this: Come here if you're looking to get something for your home and don't mind paying a bit extra for it to not be Zellers quality. A dish rack at BBB, for example, can run between $18 and $80. (Which one do you think I own?) Come here if you're looking for some of the most random crap for your house that you had no idea was an absolute necessity. Like the cutting board that folds up a bit to make transferring chopped up veggies easier! Come here if you have some free time and love to fantasize about owning everything and how much better your life would be if you took the plunge and bought that $100 shower caddy. (THINK OF THE EXTRA SOAP SPACE!) Also, come here if you already went to Home Outfitters and they didn't have what you want. They're right across the street and you never know, right? Otherwise, just go to Wal-Mart or JYSK and be happy that you're saving a little bit of money. (Pro tip: Sign up for the newsletter and occasionally receive a coupon for 20% off one item.)

Francophiles, be warned. This boutique is an utter explosion of Parisian inspired home decor and…read moreaccessories to love. Walk inside to high ceilings and low-set chandeliers garnished with crystals and brass trim. The store is a massive collection of decor for all rooms in the home, and fixtures both big and small. Tables and chairs, place settings, dishes, wine holders, umbrella bins, candelabras, lamps, bath salts, soaps-- the list doesn't end. The store's vast collection of material goods is unified under a gorgeous Baroque inspired esthetic. The store is well laid out; however, it seems impossible to take it all in during one visit. There is an overwhelming abundance of things to look at, but an obvious eye for detail and decadence. Affiliated with Abby's Fabric Shop, the store also contains plentiful fabric spools to allude luxury. Bellissimo is rich and a gorgeous spot to explore. Prices are heavy, so I will continue to daydream for now. But with the fantasy selection of pretty things, I shall encourage my Parisian cliché with visits to Bellissimo Boutique.

What a charming find! Whether you are decorating your own place or hunting for a unique house…read morewarming gift for someone, Bellissimo is the place to visit. Situated on Agricola in the middle of interior designers, antique dealers and architects and specialty lighting experts, it certainly is the crowning jewel. No matter what you're looking for from European antiques, fabrics for draperies and furniture, rugs, candles and every other kind of decorating accessories to make your house/apartment/condo truly - HOME. It's the perfect place to shop for house warming gifts and even smaller "Hostess" gifts - the ones that say you actually put time and thought into it. ...not just another bottle of wine or bunch of flowers. Everything from handcrafted candles and soaps to picture frames and other unique one of a kind items to be treasured.

Classic hippie store! I would imagine the local high school and college women would love this…read moreplace. Loads of Indian block-printed cotton items, plus tons of reasonably priced jewelry. Also tons of cute knickknacks like little figurines, Christmas ornaments, baby mobiles, and home decor items. They're open late, too. I could have browsed here for hours if I'd had the time.

This store is very reminiscent of the stores in Kensington Market in Toronto circa late 1990s that…read moresmelled like patchouli, and sold insense, ponchos and hacky sacks ;) There's a definite bohemian vibe to the store. Or as my husband would say "it a place for hippies." They had lots of cool sterling silver jewelry from Thailand. The prices were quite reasonable too. They had lots of earrings and bracelets in the $10-$25 range. I really didn't look at much else in the store, but they had beads, wooden knick knacks, pillows, and clothing that looked like they were from Nepal, Indonesia and Thailand, among other things. I loved these kinds of stores in my middle school and high school years, but it's not quite my aesthetics anymore, with the exception of the jewelery, because I still love sterling silver, it's the most suitable metal for my colouring. I had a great time browsing their large jewelery section. I almost bought the cutest bracelet, but it was a tad too big for me :( Staff were very nice. I always stop by when I'm in Halifax to poke around a bit, and be reminded of my style as a teenager, lol.

This decorative little shop has some neat ideas, i'll give them that…read more Interesting items to be found: *'We're at the lake' wooden garden signs *Repurposed old door knobs turned into towel holders *Wooden garden signs in general with sage, tulips, etc written on them. Generally a wide range of gift ideas. Most products in the shop have been created by the owners themselves so that's pretty neat. I would have preferred to browse on my own however, as opposed to being given the run down of each item I picked up. Eager sales people, that's for sure!

Rusty Hinges is my kind of store. Like others have said walking in here is like walking into a…read morechild hood memory of a weekend at the cottage. The smell of the soaps and candles places you in a relaxed mood to browse the shabby sheik store. I love this style of furniture old style with a modern twist to it. Bird houses seem to be a big thing in this store but these bird house are more of a decor thing. Various colours that you would use and an accent piece apposed to hanging in a tree. Bath salts and lotions fill the shelves with straw baskets in a way that you need to touch. I would love to design my house with everything in this place. Now prices are a bit higher then an average wear house stocked with but the character of each piece is filled with conversation and years of falling in love with your piece over and over. Beautiful hardwood floors with great wear can tell you that this store has had many visitors walking through and this is a place that I will visit again.