I recently visited the Design Store in Wairau Park looking for some stylish pieces to spruce up the…read moreliving area. This fabulous contemporary furniture and accessories store has really top quality furniture and items that make your home look a million dollars. If you can spare a bit of change the items at the Design Store do not come cheap, it's the price you pay for elegance and character. Stunning mirrors, paintings, leather couches, ottomans, coffee tables. You name it; they can spruce up any home or office. Sometimes, like me you're just looking for that signature piece to place on a table and emphasize colour, I found exactly what I was looking for in the form of a lime green bamboo place mat! Just perfect and matched up with the colour theme throughout the house. The staff are very approachable, which is wonderful as sometimes in expensive stores you can feel a bit ignored. They will give you tips and choices if you explain exactly what you're after. If just browsing however, you can do so with leisure.

I very often pop in here for a wander. There is a shitload of stuff to look at and it can take a…read morewhile to make your way around the entire store to take in all the cool stuff in it's entirety. Because of this I'm very thankful that the staff aren't the kind to be breathing down your neck and constantly asking if you need a hand! There's a wide range of home decor things in here. mirrors, candles, kitchen things, furniture. A bit of everything really. If you're buying you mother or your grandmother or your aunt a present pop in here and there will almost certainly be something appropriate. Some things can be a bit pricey but there are other smaller things to take away too. Pretty much something to please whoever I'd say.

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.

When driving down Mt Eden Road recently the colourful chairs outside Koko Classics caught my eye…read moreand lured me inside. Upon entry I was greeted by a particularly friendly chatty woman who happily gave me a tour of the store. Koko Classics stocks furniture and eclectic objects - or 'objects of desire' as they call them - that are imported from around the world. Wrought iron letters, vintage clocks, taxidermy, wooden drawers, chandeliers, huge lamps, writing desks, ottomans, platters - the store has it all and I literally loved everything. Except the large zebra hide that was draped over the staircase. Zebras are my favourite animal and that was kind of hard to stomach! The beautifully large ornate mirrors were probably my favourite thing in store, though they ranged in price from $400-$1400, I might have to wait a while to buy one! Even though Koko Classics is a bit out of my current price range, if I was decorating a house especially one with large living spaces, I would definitely want to invest in some of the fantastic things this store has to offer. Tip: One of the most commanding objects in the store was a mounted moose head. It was huge, and apparently weighs over 50kg! It's worth popping into Koko Classics just to have a look!

If only I could afford to buy one of the gorgeous industrial style filing cabinets they sell here…read more I can't think of anywhere else that sells them and when I next have a spare grand or so I'm getting one. Not so much with the cowhide rugs, cushions and throws but each to their own. There's a cool mix of stuff here, mostly reproduction but no less appealing for the fact and the one-offs they do find are truly beautiful pieces. It's kind of industrial meets rustic meets gentlemen's club and I particularly love the range of brightly coloured metal chairs. There's furniture, furnishings, lamps and cool signage and wall hangings. The shop is a beautiful space in a gallery-like building and although you have to be a bit careful of the pedestrians (and traffic light poles!), there's a couple of carparks right outside.

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)!

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!

If I could live at Citta Design best believe I would! I love the sale prices they have there…read moreespecially the bags. The bags range from picnic bags to those funky basket bags. I have bought at least three bags from there and they have all being under $30. Other than the bags the bath robes there are those thick white fluffy ones that you get in those lovely spas! I wear mine all the time, when I am lounging around at home. My mum and I always go to Citta outlet to get a few things for the bathroom. The selection is always tasteful and classy with modern designs. We bought my fave wine glasses here and tea towels for the kitchen amongst other things.

Upcycle Waiheke is gorgeous. Bursting with community spirit, creativity, and ingenuity, it's a…read moremust-see if you're on the island. Not only is it packed with inspired, locally-made goodies, the prices are incredible. I would have gone completely overboard on my last visit, if not for the thought of hauling it all back home on the ferry! Artsy presents and decorative items for the home abound, but my absolute favourites were the recycled-fabric hobby horses and the beautifully made three-tier cake stands, made with none other than vintage plates, of course! The quality of the upcycled goods is ever so slightly uneven, but on the whole most things are very professionally finished.

This place is cool! On many levels. It is a shop made up of a collective of textile artists,…read moreworking to create clothing, jewellery, gift ideas, woodwork, wall art and much more. The small group all live on Waiheke Island and exhibit their wares for sale in the shop, and I am told, they all help out in different ways running the business. Many take turns shopkeeping, some work behind the scenes on a more business level, basically everyone supports in some way or another. It is a great example of a community working together. It is cool because of what and how they produce this art. As the name suggests, the art is all created from recycled materials and the quality is high. My friend, a visitor from overseas, bought a wonderful wall hanging of a Tiki, carefully stitched and created with care. This is a great place to buy a unique gift if you are looking for something outside the square. Don't go to Waiheke without checking this place out.

This store is well signposted out on Parnell Road and is located just out the back behind the…read morestores on the road front down a little laneway. It looks like a gorgeous little cottage or something from the outside, and the inside is filled with lots more gorgeous little and big trinkets for your home. While all the larger furniture items are well out of my price range, the littler stuff is well affordable. They have some awesome huge mirrors, wardrobes, side tables, bookshelves etc. The little stuff is just as nice though, there's some interesting wall hangings, and the cutest hot water bottles I've ever seen. One of them is shaped to look like a sort of misaligned teddy, and I'm so going back to give him a home when I'm next in Parnell. The only problem is they don't do gift wrapping, which when you're a store like this is kind of an essential.

I think this is one of those shops you either stumble across by accident or have to actually go and…read moreintentionally seek out as it's tucked right out of the way on a quiet street behind Broadway, with hardly anything else on the same street. I happened to come across it quite by accident while I was looking for something else in the area and I'm so glad I did. It's a really quirky little shop that has some amazing furniture and homewares in there. I've been slowly but surely trying to deck out my house The staff are super friendly and can help you out and advise you but leave you free to browse the colourful and creative products alone if you prefer. Every time I go in here, my list of things I want to buy grows ever longer.

I just happened to discover this amazing shop today simply because I had gotten lost and boy was I…read moreglad I did! It is such an awesome place, they seem to sell everything that I like! Jewellery, ornaments, furniture and art. They had this fantastic photograph of a Pukeko on display it was HUGE at least 2m x 2m. The guy working in there was really friendly and chatty and I was sure I had seen him somewhere before...maybe on tv? My favourite item had to be their neon pink deer head! Such an awesome modern take on a classic, tradition wall hanging I would die if I got to have it in my room, so cool. Seriously if you are in search of a unique gift or some one off furniture for your home, come here I am certain they will be able to help you out.