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Sights, sounds and scents of India permeate Bhoom Shanti

At first, it's the $2,999 hammered Indian silver porch swing in the front window that draws you into Bhoom Shanti. But once you get in the door and spot the beaded tapestries and bedspreads, the brass fountains inlaid with camel bones, the meditation pillows embellished with faux jewels, you're hooked on the place at Biscayne Boulevard and 50th Street.

Shopping surprises: Hibiscus Place mixes old with new

At Hibiscus Place Emporium, you can drop off your dry-cleaning, have your pants altered, buy a divine vintage jacket and find a funky lamp all before you walk out the door. That's because the emporium, on Fort Lauderdale's fashionable Las Olas Boulevard, is part consignment shop, part dry cleaners and tailoring, part gift shop.

Getting creative: Weston shop owner turns displays into art

The way accessories and furniture are displayed at Elements for Creative Interiors is as inspiring as the items themselves.

Fanfare: Design your own ceiling fan at Dan's

A cool place to check out is J.P. Dye's 5,000-square-foot showroom in South Dade, where fans of every conceivable shape, size, color, material and design hang from the ceiling and swirl gently, moderately or vigorously to suit your taste and temperature.

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Trash heap treasure: Contractor remakes industrial discards

On the floor of this showroom, you'll encounter an oblong sculptural piece that's intriguingly pocked and imperfect. A pointy triangle juts from the flat surface like a nose on a face.

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Art By God sells gifts from nature

If Gene Harris had his way, nothing in his store would be for sale: Not the baby pterodactyl dug up in western Kansas and listed for $162,000, the mounted Barbary lion priced at $28,200, or even the framed longhorn beetles, a bargain at $36.

Sintra offers hand-painted tiles for projects large and small

If one of your fantasies is to surround yourself with walls, fountains or floors decorated with Old World murals hand-painted on tiles, Alvaro Da Costa can make it a reality.

Gallery's offerings aren't just for looking

Visitors to the European Art Gallery are encouraged to touch the art. Three-dimensional works by artist Irmaly Brackin combine layers of resin, enamel, glass and metallic acrylics, framed in glass beads and marbles. The granddaughter of the famous German expressionist painter Hans Grohs, Brackin creates art that is sophisticated and full of texture and depth.