This supremely trendy store stocks household items for the style-conscious, with items designed by big names like Alessi, Zack, Ella Doran and Philippe Starck. Classic items include Bialetti espresso makers; a range of retro-style Dualit toasters (£109-£195) and Marina Abramovic designed Illy cups (six for £69.95). A good bet for original gifts.

The Conran Shop was one of the very first retailers to embody the term ‘lifestyle’ by introducing a set of cosmopolitan shoppers to the notion of buying everything for their home from a single place. Because of the product variation, there is something for everyone’s budget, be it a ceramic vase for £20, a Norm 69 pendant light for £75 or an fabulous Aspen sofa for £1,595.

Despite their shop’s odd name, eatmyhandbagbitch’s owners take a serious approach to 20th-century design. A new line in custom-made leather goods can create anything from a set of six coasters (£75) to that absolute must-have accessory, a travelling bar (£13,000). Although prices go into the thousands, repro versions of Baron Albrizzi’s acrylic 1968 designs are priced from £75.

This is the place to visit for the latest gadgets and accessories from some of the hottest designers including Stefan Lindfors, Otto Rittweger and Marc Newson. Recent highlights included George Nelson’s Ball and Spoke clock and Jacob Jensen telephones. More playful items stocked include the collection of Ugly dolls by Kim and Hovarth (£24.99).

Amanda Sellers and Martin Barrells’ sumptuous collection features glamorous ceramics, glassware and jewellery and some fabulous shaggy merino sheepskin rugs, set among some very cool vintage furniture like a great ’60s Dutch sideboard (£550). Their bold and beautiful vintage scarf cushions are one of the store’s biggest sellers, as are their ingenious line of paint-it-yourself kits containing canvases, paints and instructions.

In addition to a superb collection of well-executed, well-chosen contemporary furniture, SCP stocks an expansive range of up-to-date accessories, great lighting and some excellent design books. The shop features a clutch of respected designers, with Michael Sodeau among them. New designs that are worth a special mention include Matthew Hilton’s Baude armchair and the solid wood Extending Table by the same designer.