Jenny Spiers, Marketing Manager, HomeSense 27.10.08

Had an unexpected cultural and shopping fix last weekend. And with four kids under 5 in tow to boot! I had never even heard of Salt's Mill in the World Heritage site of Saltaire in Yorkshire before we visited friends who have just moved up North.

It is described as "shopping, dining and art in one glorious building" but frankly this is underselling it. Local boy David Hockney is a major patron of this former old mill building and the place is stuffed full of his paintings, photographs and even opera sets. It's really inspiring having a sarnie (a slightly trendy one of course) and gazing at his work.

For home junkies like me, the homeware shop which takes up a whole floor is a carefully edited, hugely tempting mix of classic design pieces and unusual one-offs for all budgets. The bookshop and the artistic supplies shop are all achingly hip and you can head up to the top floor for some antiques and vintage inspiration. Wonder what founder, philanthropist and wool merchant Titus Salt would say? I think he would like it…

If it's interior inspiration you require, I would suggest there is nothing better than a Saturday afternoon visit to the beautiful Antique Boutique, a.k.a. Guinevere Antiques. You'll find this situated on the Kings Road, 574 - 580 London, SW6 2DY. It's full to the brim with fabulous quirky pieces like my favourite, the 1970 Italian chrome and leather folding easy chair by Marcello Coeno. And if you're looking for the perfect gift for Christmas, check out their Vintage Textile Range. After all that perusing, take a meander down to the Chelsea Bun, a destination for all Gourmet Brunch lovers! This Anglo American diner has an amazing menu, and is a must for the perfect Autumn fix.........

Victoria Wright, PR Manager, HomeSense 19.09.08

In the last few weeks I've been working with a psychologist to analyse shoppers' trolley contents in some of our stores and I've been surprised at how diverse the choices have been and what they say about the person. Dr. Colin Gill has identified four shopper

types and worryingly, due to my schizophrenic shopping style, I could be any one of them! The 'Sophisticate' has a strategy, knows what they want. No browsing for these guys. This is me with a time limit (namely lunch hour.) The 'Connoisseur' has eclectic taste and picks items because they're gorgeous, not just because they're fashionable. This is a nicer way of saying I have a tendency to impulse buy. The 'Globalist' loves items from all over the world, with natural materials and simple lines. I fall into this category when I can't afford a summer holiday (because I've spent all my money impulse-buying.) And finally, there's the 'Cosmopolitan' who loves anything exotic, worldly and fashion-forward, mixing it up in the home and creating their own style. For me this is having way too many bits and pieces lying around to create a proper theme. Hmm, I'm thinking we should create a new category: the Fasting shopper. My bank balance certainly thinks so…