The Bankrupt Shop is fab, it's like a big jumble sale but without the junk. This store is quite…read morelarge ad stock all sorts of furniture like nests of tables and chairs and stools, ornaments and mirrors and photo frames as well as soft furnishings: curtains cushions, throws and of course masses of material for the haberdashers amongst us. The prices are reasonable, although "bankrupt" implies something on par with poundland, its not quite that cheap, but you'll find a bargain. I'm not sure whether a delivery servce is available as lots of the items are quite large and bulky I should think there would be.

Zara Home whose appropriate next door neighbour is Zara, appears quite camouflaged as its outer…read morecolours blend in with Zara, so most of the time I walk past this without realising. I kick myself for not noticing because this neat little home ware shop offers a whole load of items, which are ideal to make your home look pretty and shiny. Amongst their terrific variety of products, they sell everything from crockery, linen to furniture and beds. You wouldn't think for a small shop like this, that they offer such a decent selection. Whilst prices are moderate, most items appear to be of decent quality. I wouldn't be too surprised if this store attracts many housewives and mothers. This store is perfect for transforming your home, such as making your mantle piece look ten times more fabulous!

Taskers DIY is almost like a version of Ikea but not as grand enough if you were to spend a whole…read moreday browsing their furniture and garden sections. This branch in Long Lane is a fairly large establishment compared to the branch in Wavertree. They sell a massive variety of products for your home, no matter how big or small a job you have. Staff will be there to help choose or find your items and give you a price estimate for that new bathroom suite or laminate flooring. Prices in general for DIY essentials are not too bad, obviously depending on the brand and type of item. Most of the time, you will find what you are looking for and not have to run around in circles since they have well displayed signs for each category. Taskers is certainly a decent store and up there with the best; it sells quality products at competitive prices therefore it is always worth a gander.

This is a great place to come if you have just moved into a new place or if you fancy redecorating…read more Their range includes eighteen departments of furniture and furnishings for every room in your house and garden plus DIY equipment and tools for all the services. They have a good selection of contemporary and conventional furniture styles. I've started saving for a new Parker Knoll chair. Although the business has been around 50 years and has a few stores around Liverpool, its still independently owned. Any queries will probably be answered by John Tasker son of the founder Jack. With their own kitchen designers, paint mixing, timber cutting and delivery services, this is an excellent alternative to soulless big chain shopping.

Lounge Boutique describes itself as "comfortably chic, elegantly shabby" and I have to agree with…read morethem. It's charming indeed. There is a subtle and classic look about the furniture and homeware on sale here with selections of whitewashed wooden pieces on offer and grand mirrors draped in fabric. I love the little details from the decorative storage boxes and wire mannequins laced with flowers to the cute baby gifts which are scattered across the delicate furniture. Flags and fairy lights and mini pirate hangers, teddies and baby mobiles for the crib will make you want to buy it all up in bulk for your little 'un. Selling items to make a house a home, you'll find some gorgeous treasures in Lounge Boutique to decorate your pad with.

Calico Skies is a very interesting shop. The shop is mainly fireplaces but also has lots of…read morebeautiful interior products to fill your home with and make it look awesome. I went in for the interiors rather than the fireplaces. Interior wise they really do have a good range, including picture frames, pictures, beautifully designed glass vases, candles, lamps, clocks, mirrors, chest of draws, candle holders, wooden baskets, glass bowls and chairs. I think my favourite was a very artistic glass vase with a green and black fired pattern on. I would definitely recommend a smooch around the shop.

I was dragged into this little shop recently by my girlfriend. Lucky me. You might be able to tell…read morefrom my previous yelps, that I am not a 'vintage home' kind of guy. This shop, on the bottom floor of the Wayfarer's Arcade, selling home furnishings and gifts, seems to be one of those newly- popular, anti-Ikea type stores. Everything in here seemed to be covered in flowers or hearts or cupcakes. My girlfriend ooh'd and ahh'd over the Cath Kidson range in store, but the prices are far too expensive. This shop would be perfect for someone looking to make their place seem a bit more homely, or a desperate gift for those hard-to-buy-for women, however, I am not convinced by these pseudo-vintage/kitsch/1950's shops. Playing into people's nostalgic tendencies, does anybody really need a retro style telephone? Maybe I'm just being cynical. And a man. Who would not pay £8 for a baby duck soap.

HomeSense is a chain of discount home furnishing stores, it is owned by TK Maxx, who also has a…read morestore next to this one in the Manchester Arndale. like TK Maxx the branding/styling of the name is different on this side of the Atlantic. The store is large and has a good selection of bits and bobs, from pillows to appliances, from ice cube trays and cheese-graters. Considering, they're supposed to be a "discount" chain, I did find some prices to be a little high, if you're lucky you'll find a high-quality item with a good discount/offer though, so it's kind of like a TKMaxx jumble sale but replacing the clothes with home items. The staff seemed friendly and happy to help me find what I was looking for, and the experience at the checkout was smooth. This is a fairly good store, obviously, some deals are better than others, but probably the best selection of home furnishing in the Manchester Arndale, with a fairly presentable store and helpful staff. 4*

I'm kind of in love with this shop. It's dreamy! The window displays are whimsical and they're sure…read moreto draw you in every time. The seasonal produce is brilliant, both food items and general home ware. They've got the Christmas stock in at the moment and it's absolutely gorgeous, snow globes and crockery, bath products and food. You name it :) I had to drag myself out of the shop before I spent my entire pay check. I love that you can get top quality, one off items here are a very decent price. The staff are always helpful and the store is clean and well presented. They also have a pretty good reduced to clear range. If you're in to DIY like me you can pick up something that's a little damaged for a ridiculous price and fix it up at home. I've saved so much doing this. I also find this shop to be ideal for gift shopping as they stock such a wide range of products, the packaging tends to be beautiful and I can pick up items here that I wouldn't normally see in other shops.

This shop was a godsend in my search for blue flowers for my dad's wedding, and I made some…read moreblinking gorgeous arrangements with the flowers I bought here. Not only that, they also have a multitude of stuff, such as: rugs, cushions, cosmetics, storage boxes, picture frames, giftware, crockery, candles, mirrors, wicker...the list goes on and on. Like the supercentre round the corner, it's all affordable stuff without compromising the quality. The ladies who work here are only too happy to help with any dilemma (such as blue flowers!) and have that sort of older-aunt air about them. There are some lovely kitsch things in at the moment for the house which I believe are becoming fashionable again, and a decent arrangement of teapots if that should tickle your fancy. Definitely worth popping in.

If you're looking for homeware to fill you cupboards and you're counting the pennies behind your…read morecouch but still want good looking stuff, then Home Warehouse may be a good place to have a look around! The first thing that caught my eye was the reduced rack in the doorway which had a great selection of plates, teapots and cups all in different colours..(for that mis-matched quirky mixed up look) from 50p so you can't say no really! They also have a large range of mirrors, cushions, bedding, incense holders, sticks (4 for £1) and candles for a fragrant home, and lots of fake flowers in bright colours, got to make it pretty haven't you!

Eames rocking chairs Vegetal stools…read moreMartin sofas Panier tables Componibili storage rounds Mega Tolomeo floor lamps Elephant stools & Squirrel coat hooks As you might have gussed by now, Utility Home Store specialises in quality furniture by leading British and European designers. Beautifully arranged like a series of rooms, the stock ranges from stylish and sophisticated sofas and chairs in muted and neutral tones to more fun and playful tables, stools and bookshelves in fresh acid green, bright aqua, pillarbox red and pastel blue. Naturally, the big pieces of furniture come with equally big price tags but a lot of the smaller accessories are about the same price you'd pay in a homeware store like Habitat. Right now, they even have the beautiful bookshelves featured on the set of Pedro Almodovar's Broken Embraces. In short: a must for design and furniture lovers!

There are two shops on Bold Street, the household and the gift shop…read more First, the household. If you want something kooky and kitsch, or ultra modern and snazzy for your house, this is where you'll find it. Utility have a cool collection of appliances, crockery and furniture - pretty much everything you would find in an upper market Ikea. My favourite is the spoon shaped like a heart, or as I like to call it, the 'bum spoon' (you'll see what I mean if you look at the pics). It is also the place you can get a milk jug shaped like a cow, designer chairs (that are currently in the sale for a bargain £1k each) and ultra modern kettles that look like they're about to launch into space. The shop assistants are nice too - if there is something you can't find and they realise it's out of stock, they offer to take your phone number and call you when the item has arrived. If you can afford the price tag (warning: not a particularly student-friendly shop) it is the perfect place to head for furnishing your new pad.