For being located on such a busy road, Sunhill Garden Centre is surprisingly peaceful. Perhaps it…read moreis the tree-bound setting combined with the trickle of the water features that distracts you from the sound of traffic, I don't know. But what I do know is that Sunhill Garden Center has a really great wide range of plants, from perennials and succulents to dwarf shrubs and citrus, which are all clearly labelled and well organised in the garden out the back. You can also pick up Oakdale Organics vegetable and herb seedlings starting from 3.99 each or 3 for 10, which seems to be a good deal. Inside you will find all sorts of gardening supplies and also plenty of gifts, such as potted plants, ornaments and various gardening accessories. And if you have a little one with you, then Sunhill has arranged for that too, with a small playground at the back overlooking the Apirana Reserve.

Yesterday was the first time I've visited Sunhill in 20 years. Amazing and beautiful, and really…read moregreat service from helpful and knowledgable people. I'll be back! Rose, Epsom

If money was no object, Weekend Trader would be my number one stop for furniture and home decor…read more The new location looks like it's come straight of the pages of Architectural Digest. Lots of clean lines, raw metal, marble and rich fabrics. I am particularly taken with their brass anglepoise lamp, which I am saving my pennies for. I'm also a fan of their horse prints, which, dare I say it, are similar to the ones in St Clements. Slowly, as I start to buy pieces for the new house that I plan to cherish for a long time, I predict there trips to Weekend Trader will become more frequent, even if it's only to dream...

I do not know about the 'normal' Briscoes locations, but this outlet store is on and popping! On…read morethe hunt for a quality down duvet under $300.00, I came here on the recommendation of my new housemate. When I first walked in I was not impressed. It resembled a $2.00 store with no style, or quality products visible. Boy do I stand corrected. The first row of bedding not only had exactly what I have been seeking, it also had alternative down, wool comforters as well as other man made materials. All for prices that will blow your mind! There are high thread count sheets for every budget and pillow so fluffy they'd make for an epic pillow fight. Aside from bedding there is nearly everything one needs to set up a bathroom, laundry area and kitchen. Seems to me the only items missing from this place are washer/dryers and bathtubs. It basically has all of the essentials needed to furnish and equip your home for comfort, at prices that will make you smile.

I was under the impression this was an outlet store (as it is so out of the way) but the Briscoes…read morewebsite doesn't have it listed as such, so I must have been wrong. Anyhow last year, when winter struck I needed another blanket for my bed. Off to this Briscoes I went, and I found a Queen sized, coffee coloured, feather down blanket for $80. I think originally it was definitely priced over $100 (maybe even up around $140). This has seen me through winter and looks great on my bed. I'm really pleased with my purchase. If you are in the area and need some new things for your home, I'd recommend you stop and look at this Briscoes.

My daughter and I come here all the time. Fantastic collection and reasonable prices. Plants are a…read moregood size for the price. Great place to buy a gift for anybody. Both of us have beautiful gardens now, thanks to Roger and his advice. Look after yourself, Roger; you know you can't take it with you.

Hugeeeeeeeeeeede selection…read more Amazing Value Superb service Owner operator plus 4 amazing staff New website www.rogerhuntersgardencentre.co.nz

This is a great shop for picking up unique presents that once unwrapped, won't immediately scream…read moretheir price point at the recipient. And if you're looking for a bigger commitment, the furniture is pretty much unique within Auckland. Buana Satu has changed a lot over the years. It's evolved from something more along the lines of The Third Eye, into a more upmarket, modern haven of unique art and homewares like rugs, bags, cushions, and crockery. When I last visited I was completely smitten with the little mermaid sculptures hanging on the wall - glittery, kitsch, and with little moko. So adorable. And surprisingly inexpensive. There are a lot of things with a slight kiwi bent available here, but they're definitely not souvenirs. They're much nicer than that. In sum, it's a kind of "I bought this for someone but on second thoughts I might just keep it for myself" haven.

This store really surprised me. From the outside it looks like it's going to be your typically…read moreoverpriced home-wares store, but on closer inspection, it's actually got some rather nice little Kiwi-centric gifts such as traditional greenstone necklaces and other New Zealand made jewellery. It's a really great gift shop to find things for friends or family abroad and even better for visitors to the country to buy something distinctly Kiwi to take home with them. I also really like the selection of Buddhas they have in the store, made from stone and resin and available in a variety of sizes and styles. It's a spacious store, with nice lighting and relaxing music on the stereo. making for a very pleasant browsing experience and the lovely guy behind the counter really knew what he was talking about when I made an enquiry.

It seems Japanese shops such as this one are growing like mushrooms!…read moreI would rank this one as my second favourite, the kitchen section in particular has lots of pretty soup bowls and pans and steamers. As mentioned in my fellow Yelpers's reviews there are also the stationery and bathroom sections and lots of random cute thingies no one needs... But oh they' so cheap so why not?!

This place is pretty awesome, hidden in an obscure location, you almost miss it. Thankfully for the…read morevibrant orange and black sign to mark the narrow entrance you begin your decent into the lower depths of Queen Street to find yourself in a rather large store that I could not accurately categorise. This is because there is a lot of stuff here, stationary, the gift bags and paper section is great, Hello Kitty and Snoopy are well represented here. There are aisles of all kinds of things for your home, a massive chopstick section, Hello Kitty cling wrap, food bags and plasters. Interestingly a big range of nappies and other baby things. It is fun just to look around, there are some odd things here too, especially in the bathroom and cleaning sections. Good fun I say, you'll walk away with things you didn't need but make are entertaining none the less. (Hello Kitty keeps my food fresh now).

If you're in need of doing some DIY, Mitre 10 Mega is the place to go to. With everything from…read moreplumbing materials, garden materials, cabinets, building tools and materials, there is something there for every handy man. Mitre 10 Mega guarantee's 15% lower prices than other hardware stores. In the past they have been known to match a better price if you can prove another store has the same product cheaper. This great customer service is what entices people to come back and purchase from them. There is also a café and kids playground on premise. While dad is shopping for new tools, mum can catch up on the latest magazine gossip with a coffee, while the children remain entertained in the playground. In the weekends it's not uncommon for Mitre 10 to have a bouncy castle up and a sausage sizzle cooking. They like to make it a family affair.

While I enjoy going to Mitre10 to purchase little things for the house and garden, I was politely…read moreasked to leave. This being, that I had my puppy sitting on his blanket, on top of a cart. He is a very quiet, polite, social little fellow and enjoys being greeted by young and old. As I said to the gentleman who asked me to leave, my reply was "you let children in here." I have witnessed parents allowing their unruly children to jump over furniture, pick up items and just leave them in different places.(adults too, for that matter). So, there is a café there. Most of the time the little dogs sit outside and are of no bother. They don't leave a mess. Children do. I don't see parents cleaning up after them. I say, use a little discretion Mitre10. Allow well behave animal in and keeping brats out. OH, the 1 is for allowing me in the door...

What an awesome shop! This is a collection of quirky, fun and interesting pieces of furniture and…read morehome decor items that the owner sources from around the world. The pieces are a mix of French and, Asian and Bohemian, you'll find French chairs upholstered with bright coloured fabrics, Asian styled cabinets in soft duck egg blue with an almost tribal feel to them. They also have a great range of little wood stools and other interesting occasional pieces of furniture that would make for an interesting addition to your place. Home decor items include anything from large glass jars, vessels, cake domes and candles. It is a great place to come for gifts too and with the prices ranging from $20 to $2000, I also think very good pricing. They have some draws and cabinets that I would say are comparable to what Red Current stock but at almost half the price. The layout of the store is really funky too, organised chaos, a great store, something that little bit different.

Ponsonby road is an altogether dangerous thing, and with shops like Zoo Warehouse as tenants you…read morecan see why! It's a place where wallets come to die, die hard in fact. Like many of my discoveries in Auckland, I happened on this place rather by chance. I'm currently furniture/ knick knack shopping for my poor little empty flat so this store was a godsend. There are some really beautiful pieces, one set of drawers In particular which I narrowly missed out on! Ah regret! I did purchase a really fantastic wall hanging for my bedroom the last time I was in there however, and at $180 I thought it was pretty much a bargain, considering the size and quality of it any rate. If you have to save your pennies to purchase one of these individually crafted and lovingly restored pieces I suggest starting now as they go quick.

Payless Paints is probably the most exciting paint shop in the city, because when you turn up you…read morecan't be sure what they'll have in stock. They import and sell a whole of end-of-line or mistints from America, as well as a line of "new" paint that can be tinted to almost any shade you want. The mistints are the exciting part though, because obviously you just have to go through them and decide what you want. (Don't worry, they paint the tins with the colour so it's pretty easy to look at them) The best part about them though is that they are all incredibly cheap: usually $25 - $30 for four litres. This means you can easily paint a standard bedroom for $50. That is a good deal!

This place sells some funky furnishings to brighten up your home. They also stock some great…read morefurniture, jewellery, and gift ideas. The bright colours and textures of items spilling out around their small entrance is what drew me in for the first time. I have shopped there several times, and although I love their stuff I do have to mention that the service has not always been so great; staff are often too busy socializing, or have little knowledge of their own stock; once I left my phone number, wanting the price on a particular item that they couldn't quite get at, physically, and they never phoned me back.

From the owner: Origin Interiors sells quality gifts, furniture and home decor NZ wide to women and men via an…read moreonline shop, plus at an outlet store in Auckland. Origin's returning customers have commented on the ultimate shopping experience because of the unique collection of gifts and love Origin's regular promotions. Origin's email club is popular and every new member gets a special welcome voucher. For anyone looking to buy a gift for Mothers day, or a birthday present, perhaps a Valentines gift for a partner, Anniversary gift and Christmas present, Origin has a large eclectic range of furniture, décor pieces and gifts with attitude.