We just had our kitchen done, which essentially meant repainting old cabinets and replacing old appliances--fancy, huh? Best part of designing on the proverbial dime was going to the Ace Mart to replace old utensils. This monstrous store has everything you'd ever need, from tiny spoons to bowls the size of King Kong's left paw. They even have deep fryers big enough to cook a whole human, which isn't our idea of lean cuisine, but who are we to judge? The store's actually for, ya know, restaurants (hence the name, duh), but the general public's welcome, too. Never know when a dinner party for 10 will blossom into a shindig for 100 at the last sec. Turns out you need that 500-cup coffeemaker after all. We've spent days in here, admiring the 20-foot-wide stove tops we'll never need and the retro diner seating we'll never use and the cook's garb we'll never buy and the two-story-tall fridge we'll never want. But it sure is fun to daydream about that deep fryer.

A container from the Zheijiang province of China had just come in the last time we visited Jaya, bringing a huge shipment of village artifacts and unusual antique furniture. The geometric shapes and clean lines make it easy to incorporate Jaya's tables, china cabinets, desks and bookcases into any décor. But it's the unexpected one-of-a-kind pieces that keep collectors coming: an antique tea chest, Indonesian tribal carvings, a painted ceremonial wedding bed, hand-woven baskets and even bold contemporary paintings by Chinese or Indonesian artists. Manager Linden Alexander often unveils new shipments with wine-and-hors d'oeuvres evenings. Oohing and aahing over her latest discoveries is not a bad way to start a night out.

Shopping at the Salvation Army is usually a hit-or-miss proposition. Those not too picky about the condition of their housewares will almost always find what they need, but shoppers hunting for hip, retro clothes often find plenty of retro with very little hip. Yet the Salvation Army store on Garland Road is a sure bet in one respect: For college students, young families and new arrivals on a budget, it's got the best selection of used furniture in town. And we're not talking cat-peed couches and three-legged tables either. The furniture is generally solid, comfortable and clean, and the selection changes every week. The prices are high by thrift store standards but so is the quality. You can't really expect them to just give the good stuff away.

For collectors of antique Mission-style furniture and accessories, this new store in Munger Place goes on the once-a-week, must-browse circuit. In addition to unique tables, settees and chairs, the Quaint Home Gallery offers lamps and other accessories in the Arts and Crafts style not seen everywhere else. In addition, they have a large selection of Arroyo Craftsman lighting fixtures, samples of Arts and Crafts fabrics that can be made into pillows or table runners and Porteus art nouveau tiles handmade in New Zealand--great for that fireplace surround in your East Dallas bungalow. Open Wednesday through Saturday. Make a morning of it: Next door is the Garden Café, which serves breakfast until 3 p.m.

Before we met Linda Pennington, we thought we had style, class, sophistication--all the things you think you have till you meet someone who actually has those things. After we had our kitchen updated, we quickly came to realize the rest of the house wasn't quite right--something about milk crates and cinder blocks and dorm-room living came to mind. So we called a friend who knew a friend who had used Linda Pennington's Redecorating with Style services to give their domicile an extreme makeover--using the furniture that was already in the house, for a real redesign on a dime. Pennington comes to your house, takes a bunch of pictures and measurements, disappears for about a week, then swoops into your home for an entire day, demanding your immediate departure. Then she works her voodoo, and, presto, about eight hours later, your study's where your living room used to be, your living room's livable and your dining room actually looks like a room in which you want to dine. She ain't cheap--Pennington will go out and buy some stuff, which you keep only if you like--but her service is not unreasonable at all, which is why we hired her to redesign our office. And you know you gotta like somebody's work if you use them for the workplace. It's not like you can get fired from your house, know what we're saying?

We love Elliott's as much as the next handyman. If only we were handy, but still. Yet it's almost too much of a good thing, a hardware store in which the hardware's getting short shrift. Around the time they started selling make-yer-own fudge, well, we decided we'd best look elsewhere for our everyday nail-hittin', pliers-pullin' needs. We love the Westlake Ace because it's as old school as a one-room junior high, a place where they sell nothing but paint and nails and hammers and light bulbs and garden hoses and soil and tape and all other things hard and ware. And it's easy to find a guy to help you with all your needs. We had one dude spend 30 minutes with us not long ago discussing the finer points of sandpaper and which grain we really needed for refinishing that coffee table we rescued from a garage sale down the street. Take that, Home Depot.

Readers' Pick
Elliott's Hardware 4901 Maple Ave. 214-634-9900 2049 Coit Road, #300, Plano 972-312-0700

Obsessed with Bravo's hit show Blow Out and the upscale styling world of its weepy, tantrum-throwing owner Jonathan Antin? The atmosphere of hair guru Matthew Tully's Uptown salon isn't far off. The shop is a bit more Day-Glo and Tully doesn't boohoo as much in public. But that's a big plus. We like a man with scissors in his hand to be focused on nothing but us, thanks. His cuts are so flawless we've seen ladies leave in tears (strictly happy ones), and Tully's color work is dynamic. Like Antin, Tully handpicks his staff, trains them and works alongside them as a team player. Tully's staff (which includes his wife, Tania) offers a wide range of services (cuts, color, extensions, etc.). The more experienced the stylist, the higher the price. But they're all pros. It's not just Beverly Hills salonmeisters who get all the stars. Lots of local celebs come to Tully for some hairplay. But he's not one to gossip. Call him a big tease.

Readers' Pick
Avalon Salon and Spa 6632 Snider Plaza 214-750-5667 3699 McKinney Ave. 214-969-1901

Are you a slave to product? Gel in your hair, polish on your nails, lotion on your skin--these are not luxuries, they're necessities. And they ain't cheap. Not at your level of use, anyway. If this sounds like you, BeautyFirst should be on your list. Aside from offering a hair salon and a wide array of product lines, BeautyFirst also has Gold Card Tuesdays. For card holders, the first Tuesday of every month is the day to stock up on all those potions that keep you looking like your usual fabulous self while saving 20 percent off your purchases, and you know what that means. It means you can buy 20 percent more stuff! The friendly sales clerks will help you find what you need, and they'll explain new items and make suggestions, too. And we like that a lot, because even the most expert product user needs a little guidance sometimes.

So you're sitting there and the stylist is cutting your hair, and she doesn't know you and you don't know her and the silence between you she can't stand--you can, but she can't. She's got to talk to her clients. She must build a client base. "So," she says. "Have you seen any good movies?" Ugh. Sometimes we just want a haircut. We just want to pay our money and get out of there. The great thing about Stylelabb, by contrast, is that they leave you alone if that's what you want. And that is what you want because the music they play is better entertainment anyway. It veers toward hard rap, old-school stuff, Biggie and Tupac. Lots of Tupac, actually. Or at least that's what we notice in Stylelabb because we love Tupac. Suddenly, there's something to talk about with the person cutting hair.

It's no longer a question what body part you'd like pierced--the best piercers in Dallas can do them all. The real question--well, wait, there are actually two questions that separate the best from the rest. How clean is the piercing parlor? And how helpful are they with customers? The first question, that's easy to answer. They all pretty much are. If they weren't, they wouldn't be in business long. But in the helpful department, one stands out: Ritual Body. The staff boasts of having the largest body jewelry selection in the pierce-o-plex. And after your piercing, not only does Ritual's staff piercer trade you a free T-shirt for a coupon, he or she tells you about all the soreness you can expect in the coming weeks and how to care for it. And if you forget, Ritual's Web site gives you detailed lists of what to do and when. Plus, Ritual does tattoos and henna body painting. It's one-stop shopping at this piercing shop--and that's the point.

Readers' Pick
Obscurities Tattoo/Piercing 4000-B Cedar Springs Road 214-559-3706