Okay, so this store has pretty much every bloody kitchen appliance you could ever want in your…read morewhole entire life. If you like homeware or you're my mom, you'll be able to spend hours in this joint. Hours and dollars. The Home Store stocks pretty fancy kitchenware - KitchenAid, Le Creuset etc. Basically, if you need a gift for someone who likes to cook or bake or entertain, this is the place to go. You literally will not be able to leave this store without finding something to buy someone for their wedding, or for your aunt or your sister. There are other home accessories as well as kitchenware - straws and cookie cutters, teapots and porcelain and pegs. Another plus: their gift wrapping service is on point, so that's a bonus.

This store is one awesome store. The Home Store has the good stuff. Not to name drop but they sell…read morethe likes of Cuisine Art, Kitchen Aid appliances, Le Creuset, Villeroy and Boch. If you love baking, they have an massive selection of cupcake and cookie things as well as anything you could possibly need to decorate a cake. This would be the place to come if you are really into entertaining, no matter what the occasion you'd entertain in style. The Home Store also stocks cute things like pretty coloured paper straws, little glass milk bottles, ice cream cups, popcorn bags which would be great for kids birthday parties or baby showers. The Home Store has a great range of high quality brands, a great store to find gifts for others and things for your home that make every day chores more fun, such as pretty coloured pegs and peg baskets and the Joseph & Joseph range. The merchandising in this store is equally fantastic and they do have a gift wrapping service and wedding gift registry services.

Milly's is like a fantasy land at the top of the magic faraway tree and a haven for any baker or…read morefoodie. Alongside high-end, luxury kitchen brands such as Le Creuset, KitchenAid and Dualit they also stock quirky and cute kitchen accessories, as well as lovely bakeware, stoneware and cast iron products. My only beef with Milly's, and the reason I'm only rating them three stars, is because of their price points. While I'm aware that everything they stock is of the highest quality, I still feel that some pieces are grossly overpriced and, having lived overseas and being aware of what certain brands cost elsewhere, I struggle to comprehend how Milly's (or perhaps NZ, for that matter?) can justify the cost of some homeware goods. And because of that, I window shop in Milly's, lose myself for an hour or two, then go and buy those must-have pieces online.

I guess the fact that I get more than a little excited when near any kind of kitchenware shop…read more Milly's of Ponsonby is about as titillating as they come. Absolutely brimming with culinary paraphernalia, equal parts pragmatist's larder and whimsical kingdom, Milly's has virtually any kitchen-related tool or piece of equipment imaginable. It's worth a look for the sheer wealth of unusual artifacts held within. I found myself drooling over the exhaustive range and palette of their Kitchenaide mixers, then basically fell to pieces when I found myself in the midst of a section containing mostly european ice cream scoopers and fancy-pants spoons. Yes, I am a massive loser, but that doesn't mean Milly's range is any less impressive. The downside is that everything here is obviously very expensive, but I suppose that's to be expected given the quality of stock at this establishment. Hey, if you want a shitty fork, go to the Warehouse. If you want something Parisian, magnificent, and/or baroque as all hell, head to Milly's.

Who would have thought a small clearance store in Parnell would have lasted long? Years ago, when M…read moreClearance first opened, I was convinced it was just a pop-up store. To see them still trading today is like watch a uplifting Disney under-dog story. M Clearance stock housewares and glassware, so is a great place to buy cheap but quality wine glasses. And you don't have to know the difference between Swarovski or Zwiesel. Just honest and decent products, with cheerful service usually reserved for outside of the Parnell suburb. If you are growing up and moving from being a student into "in a relationship" M Clearance is a great place to get some reasonable kitchenware. Or if you have recently moved into the fancier side of town and have just been made aware of the difference between a red wine glass and a stein, you can step up your game here without breaking the bank.

I had a disappointing experience with this store…read more I received my order and immediately noticed that the clothes had a very strong fragrance smell. Given that I ordered premium organic children's clothing, this was quite concerning and contrary to what many parents expect - minimal processing and no added scents. They also sell diffusers and candles, which may explain the scent contamination. I emailed the same day I received the package to request a return and refund. It then took a full week to receive a response, which simply instructed me to return the items to a warehouse address, with no clear process. I replied the same day asking reasonable questions -such as the warehouse opening hours, whether I could drop the items off in person. It has now been another week with no response. This was also confusing because their company policy states that online orders can be returned to any of their retail stores. This would have been far more convenient, as they have multiple locations with set opening hours and staff available, so you know you can actually speak to someone and have the return handled properly. Overall, the lack of communication, slow response times, and inconsistency with their stated return policy have been very frustrating. For a brand positioning itself as premium, I expected much better customer service and handling of returns. I would also caution other parents who prefer unscented, minimally treated baby clothing to keep this in mind when ordering.

Father Rabbit is the absolute best. It seriously turns me into a gushing 16 year old. They've got…read morebeautiful, beautiful homewares, candles, children's clothing and there's a small amount of adult clothing too. This store is larger than their Ponsonby one and is located inside Bloc, which is dangerous in itself. But back to F.R, the brands they stock are all seriously stunning - lots of whites, neutrals and soft pastels.... it's my dream to make my house look like this one day... Not surprisingly, Father Rabbit has become my go-to for gifts. It isn't outrageously expensive and they've got a wide range of products, something for everyone. Check it out next time you're in Mt Eden....the ultimate one stop shop.

Tessuti makes my heart flutter! They stock the most beautifully curated range of homewares, often…read moreby designers i've never heard of. Most of it is out of my price range but a girl can dream, right? Ok so, i'll admit today I actually splashed out and bought a Joska & Sons brass shelf that i'd had my eye on for a while. I'd never heard of him (Joska) before but he is furniture designer out of Lyttleton who also makes the most gorgeous wood & brass lamps. Tessuti may be too expensive for a regular splurge but it's a wonderful place to get wedding, engagement or birthday present for someone special. Not sure what to get? The Storm & India teas are beautiful or go if you need something more masculine, the Opinel knifes are a crowd pleaser! After all, you can never have enough good, French knives!

I always put Tessuti in the 'window shop' shop basket, you know - a lovely shop to look at but one…read moremustn't look too closely at the prices lest something should break. Or someone should cry (me). But recently I was waiting for my coffee next door and I went in, and was actually quite surprised by the pricing. Yes, it is high-end, high-quality stuff and at the luxury end of gifting and homeware. But some of the pieces were more reasonably priced than I first expected. I set my sights on a cute little white porcelain stag, set up in a lovely glass dome, and both have gone on my birthday wishlist.

Nood is located in the new Apex shopping precinct opposite Sylvia Park. Its a fairly new…read moreestablishment and out of habit I always like to visit if I'm the area. What makes Nood so interesting is that they have a lot of very different products at different price points. From novelty mini books and plush toys to very expensive duvets, Nood certainly doesn't put itself under one umbrella. The Apex store is very big and split in two and red and black are the dominant colours in here- I love the decor in here. On one side you have a lot of bedding, room furniture, knick knacks, clocks; on the other is kitchenware (I love their stuff on this side!) and a few bargain items too. Their high end items are great to look at; there have been a few clocks I've definitely been eyeing up! But a lot of their products are hugely design-based and really seem like one of a kind/limited edition type stuff. On the other end of the spectrum they've got some affordable items, particularly their glasses and other kitchenware, and their sales are always worth making time for. I only own one item from Nood and its this awesome bullet cocktail shaker- since I received it as a gift I've been looking for a few more things to add to my Nood collection!

I'm the first in line when it comes to making excuses... I can't do this because I don't have the…read moreright equipment, or I'll do it better if my tools were better, et cetera et cetera... This was true for the kitchen too, but now no more; I've found a gem of a store at the St Lukes. King of Knives is your one stop shop for all your kitchen cutting needs. They've got slicers, dicers, cutters and mincers, you need it and they've got it. I restocked my whole kitchen with sharp new steak knives, and it is great to use the right stuff. I'm now the carving king of the north.

I was having some friends over for dinner and creme brulee was on the agenda - which means I needed…read morea culinary blow torch. I tried quite a few places in St Lukes mall - Stevens had one with the ramekin dishes but we had them already. We ended up finding one in this place which works so powerfully, it's almost scary to use. They specialise in knives and have a big selection of excellent quality knives. I bought one and must say cutting veggies is now a pleasure rather than a chore. They also sell lots of other kitchen utensils like pepper mills and thermometers. I get the impression that a lot of people are big into cooking these days and a place like this is very useful if you want to improve your skills. Some of the knives are a bit pricey but when you use one of them you will see where that extra money went and realise it's well worth it.