Living Edge is an awesome store, the furniture is unique and and of high quality, these are pieces…read morethat would make a space. I come down for a look every once and a while and have picked up the odd item, the best time to come is during their sales. At one point they had tables and benches made from railway tracks from Mumbai India and there is a lot of other beautiful wooden furniture for sale here. In particular the wooden mangers are incredible. In addition to the furniture there is a great selection of home decor items, lanterns, mirrors, heavy stone candle pillars, vases and other vessels in striking colours, mostly stones or ceramics. There is a small selection of bedding and cushions and rugs and because the entire store is set up like a show room, you get visual interior design advice. If you still need more assistance, Living Edge also offer interior services and staging for show rooms. With the upholstered furniture, you select your fabrics and it is made for you.

I love Love Cast. Geddit? Well, that's okay, it wasn't really a joke was it…read more This isn't the kind of shop that you'd come to for one thing in particular, it's much more a browser (nothing to do with computers). It's definitely a girly-girl, nana-ish type of place, and as all of the stock is Asian, may I say Asian-y? The best things are these little microwaveable porcelain bowls that come with plastic lids, so that you can store leftovers classily in your fridge and then reheat them easily. So now you know that you have to appreciate the dinky to really like Love Cast. No wait, the best things are these plastic spoons. I'm not sure I can give them full credit here though. They come in lots of different sizes (from eating to serving) and colours, and are I think made of melamine. I have quite a collection and find them superior for desserts and cereal consumption when the thought of the cold metal of an ordinary spoon is deeply offensive to one's sense of culinary aesthetics. And perhaps they're so appealing because we all ate off them as babies. Also, they have slippers (in the manner of thin-soled things to offer to guests), some pretty quilts down the back of the shop, and some extraordinarily kitsch clocks. There's also jewellery and other bits and pieces.

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.

Zoo Warehouse recently opened along with the launch of Ponsonby Central and what a fine addition it…read moremakes to P Rd. If you love quirky pieces and shabby chic style you'll love the pieces crammed into this little shop - everything from large wooden cabinets to candle holders, vases and large, colourful cushions. I received a lovely glass cake stand from here for my birthday, and it was slightly faulty and the owner was very understanding, in the end giving me a discount which I spent on something else in the shop. They have new stuff coming in weekly and if you follow their Facebook page, as I do, you can even get a sneak peek at the new shipment products. Definitely my kinda place!

Citta is every home lover's dream. In fact, I don't own a home and it's still one of my favourite…read morehome decor shops. French provincial furnishings, bedding and lovely knick-knacks, Citta inspires grand designs and grand ideas for redecorating! Whether you are looking for a nice throw for your couch or bed, plush towels, elegant chests and coffee tables or a fabulous centrepiece, Citta will have you well and truly covered. Everything in the store has a really fresh, innovative feel about it. You can just imagine how beautiful the items would be in your own home, however it's also a great place to buy gifts for others. Mothers and in-laws in particular would love anything Citta has to offer. The outlet store makes Citta products very affordable, while maintaining a really high standard of quality. Highly recommended!

First port of call for gift ideas is Citta Outlet store in Mt Eden. This warehouse space is filled…read morewith a selection of modern and very stylish household gear ranging from linens to platters, crystal to stuffed toys. If you want to kit out a new home or apartment this is where to come. You'll find towels, robes, bath mats and rubbish bins. For the dining room table you are also spoilt for choice with their range of dinner plates, crystal glasses, flutes, wine glasses and tumblers. They have table runners, table cloths and place mats. Pick up a bean bag here or an interesting funky shick picture frame. My purchase, a breezy scarf which on these warm nights doubles as a shawl.

The Homestore is a great addition to Sylvia Park and aside from being a huge fan of their tea…read moretowels (check them out, they are seriously great), its my favourite place to buy homeware. What I love about this place is that there's always something here that I know my mum will love. It could be a new cookbook or a new salad serving set, but whatever it is, The Homestore has it. It's also home to appliances, dinner sets and bathroom accessories. I'd like to think I become a little more domesticated after every visit, and i'm always sure to pick up something useful for myself. I'm an avid baker and they've got some great cupcake patty tins and some awesome cake decorating supplies aswell. If you're a party planner, they've got some cute decorations- think lanterns and garlands. A few days before Christmas last year this place was so busy, and in my haze of last minute Christmas shopping I found some comic relief in the lady who served me at the counter. I never got her name but she was hilarious. We didn't speak about much in particular, but I just remember laughing and joking with her about the perils of Christmas shopping. Just being able to have a normal conversation that wasn't about what I was buying was quite refreshing. I bought a few glass items and she made sure to double package them (I was carrying a lot of stuff already), so they wouldn't smash on my way out. She was so thoughtful and pretty much made my night! I really do love The Homestore- the ultimate stop for anything your home needs.

I've been in this store 5-6 times over the past 6 months as I love the stock however I have never…read morebeen greeted while in there. Often I am just browsing however today I went in planning on spending quite a large amount of money for a birthday present. I spent 10-15 minutes in store, first walking around and then looking quite hard at one shelf in particular. There were two ladies working and no one else in store yet I was not greeted or acknowledged in any way. I go into retail stores to get the personal interaction and staff knowledge about the items, since I can't get that service from this store I won't go back and might as well buy things online.

The Glass House is appropriately named. It's one of those stores that while I was in, it actually…read morefelt like a glass house. I was pretty much afraid to pick anything up in case I got yelled at by the rather unpleasant shop assistant whose eyes I could feel on me at all times. I had to wonder if my favourite hoodie I was wearing made me look like a delinquent or something, because I was definately not made to feel welcome in this store. Its evidently aimed at the older women sort of market, so I probably wasn't their ideal sort of customer anyway. It's one of those little stores like you can find anywhere else, filled with knick knacks and home-wares, some jewellery and I guess helpful and pretty stuff, if you can look past the customer service or lack thereof. They stocked some really nice aprons actually that I was tempted to get for my mother, but had to walk out empty handed because it was just getting too awkward in there. To the dour shop assistant: a smile wouldn't really go astray love!

'Nest' is an urban, chic, contemporary brand that oozes style. If you haven't ventured to 'Nest'…read moreyet - go now! They offer (Winter) wool 'moss' (dark grey/light grey/indigo) blankets for $299, charcoal/duckegg/seafoam linen sheeting and duvet covers from $59 (pillowcases)... Stunning. I adore the marble enamelware in grey that is both practical and stylish. There is a bargain table of discontinued product (by the entrance) which is worth looking at... From $6 for duck egg facecloths and other essentials. You are left to your own devices to browse and do as you please. It would have been an exceptional experience if the staff interacted with me about the product! Maybe next time?

I was going to go to the Newmarket store for a few things, but I was told this one had a larger…read moredisplay of stock. It's in a warehouse, not a storefront, with easy parking outside. Brimming with beautiful bed linen, home decor and tableware, I was easily able to make my choices. Must bring my daughter here, there's loads of things that would appeal to both of us. Love the blush pillow, copper baskets, wooden hooks and the classic white risotto bowls for only $8. Great city find.

Oh my god I want everything in this store. I wish I had my own house! And lots of money to be able…read moreto fill it with the beautiful pieces Harrowset Hall stocks! Mohair blankets, ornate mirrors, waffle cotton sheets, velvet cushions, linen bedclothes, cow hide rugs - Harrowset Hall is a treasure trove of textured and eclectic home decor delights! Everything in Harrowset is gorgeous and the quality is undeniable. This fine quality does mean that most of what Harrowset Hall stocks is quite pricey, but boy is it worth it! Your house would be the envy of all your friends and just by purchasing items from this store you feel better. I know when I bought a classic lace and embroidered nightgown from Harrowset I felt like a million dollars - I felt like a 'real lady'. Harrowset Hall is just that kind of place - it makes you feel like you've found hidden treasure. Exploring their signature store on Nuffield Street is a great way to lift your mood and motivate you to redecorate your home! Tip: Handmade soaps both from within New Zealand and imported from Florence are also available in Harrowset and they smell AMAZING. Not too fragrant, as a lot of scented soaps tend to be, these are just right and would make lovely gifts.

I love Collected. It is possibly one of my favourite shops in terms of homewares, gifts and knick…read moreknacks. Plus everything is super bright that you'll just want to buy the whole shop! They stock Lindi King bracelets (which are all bright colours and come with different charms), wall art, gift cards, candles, home aromatherapy perfumes (the skull ones are amazing), children's gifts and toys, cushions, lampshades, and so much more! I love coming here when I need to buy presents for friends and family, plus staff are always super friendly and helpful and they offer colourful gift wrapping too!

I only just discovered this shop today and it was by accident! They are in the Bloc Building on…read moreNormanby Road (just across the road from the Normanby hotel). On the ground level is the Citta Design shop and then if you go upstairs you'll find the Collected. What a find it is! I wanted so much in the shop. And the really good part is there was some really nice stuff for around $20 or less such as dinner plates, various knick knacks, candles and other stuff made of awesome. There was so much I wanted to purchase. So once I have a bit more cash in the bank, I will definitely be back (come on pay day)!