Zoo Warehouse is worth a visit for the tightly edited selection of beautiful Moroccan rugs. My favourite are the textural boucherouite rag rugs.

I’m obsessed with the kilims at House of Haghi. There is a huge range and plenty of beautiful Turkish rugs too.

There are lots of wonderful things on offer at the Trade Aid stores. I love the highly decorative quilts and cushions. The tea sets are delightful and there is many a basket for practical yet pretty storage.

This is the best place in the city to get slippers and sheepskins at a great price. They have a huge variety of warm footwear and I am coveting a pair of the possum slip ons,  so incredibly warm even though they look like a furry tissue box holder. They have a massive stack of sheepskins and a huge range of undyed, natural skins in alluring shades of brown. You can also get seat covers and goatskins and the cutest calfskin baby booties.

Stepping into Madder and Rouge is like a small slice of France, Morocco and Istanbul all at once. Great for gifts or just to browse and dream of exotic locales.

The Trade Aid stores dotted around Auckland city always have a huge selection of reasonably priced gifting ideas, and the initiative behind them makes those gifts even more special. Their support of developing nations has been a big part of their business for years and I love shopping there all the more for it. Their kids’ sections are always particularly good too, with lots of cool little treats for parties that definitely don’t cost the earth.

Always worthy of a visit, the Superette store on Ponsonby Road has the perfect edit right now of men’s and women’s winter clothes. Its racks are jam packed with high end street and casual labels like Bassike, Vanishing Elephant and Nudie jeans, as well as top notch sneakers and the Beau Coops shoe collection. If you’re on the other side of town their Newmarket store is also a great place to browse - and spend.

I’m famous for more often than not gifting books on all manner of special occasions, and one of the places I always hit first is Dear Reader in West Lynn shops. They have an amazing selection of publications for book lovers of all ages and tastes and never fail to gift wrap with panache, and the fact that they are most next to Monterey Cafe means you can pick up a cup to go after a visit. Love this place.

One of the most unique and seriously impressive furniture and homewares stores I have walked into of late is the beautiful Bob & Friends opposite Western Park on Ponsonby Road. They specialise in contemporary British designers like Matthew Hilton and Gareth Neal, and every room in their showroom looks like one I would like to have in my house. They also have great gift ideas like throws and even Damien Hirst paper weights - definitely a must buy.

The Poi Room is a pretty glorious place to visit, packed with contemporary New Zealand art and design from the well known to the recently discovered. It is a hot spot for gifts for friends overseas, and usually has something that perfectly fits the brief no matter what your budget or size constraints. The retail staff are super helpful as well, which makes the whole experience that much sweeter.

If you are a techo geek and you have to have the newest gadgets for your home chances are that is an expensive thing to keep up. JB HI-Fi is really the only place I go when I’m looking for electronic goods. The staff are really knowledgeable and the prices are the best in town. Make sure to check out their vinal collection while you’re there and grab some tunes to play on that fancy new entertainment system.

Sometimes you are sitting in your lounge room on a Saturday night when your flatmates have gone partying and you realise that the room could do with a little bit of personality. Iko Iko is the BEST place to get cute, ridiculous and super trendy homewares. They have a great range of lanterns too which always do a good job of brightening things up. In no time your house will be so trendy your pinterest followers will be jealous.

There is only so much you can do with an old couch that you have picked up super cheap from trademe. It may be comfy and you may have finally gotten rid of the smell of cat urine but you can not deny how ugly it is. Take a trip to Martha’s and buy yourself some fabric to make over that mess - this store has the trendiest fabric around!

I once dated a chef who taught me the importance of having decent sharp knives in the kitchen. Now I have become that annoying person who buys people chef’s knives as christmas presents. Guess where I get them from, you guessed it, The House of Knives. It kind of makes sense doesn’t it?

Everyone knows that if you buy something from Briscoes when they aren’t having a sale then you probably have a screw loose. If you have been doing this, my advice would be t rethink your shopping experience and head there during a "sale". You won’t get over how cheap things are, in fact when I moved houses recently I just went to a Briscoes sale and got everything I needed for half of my budget. Score!

Mixt is an intentionally kitschy gift shop that stocks awesome art/home decor/general knick knacks, created by Kiwi artists and crafters. There’s loads of rad art prints, wall-mountings (ducks in suits? Yes please), jewellery, handcrafted vases and ceramics, greeting cards, lamps, it goes on. I like to get my thank you or birthday cards from Mixt… a screen-printed, New Zealand-designed card feels a lot more personal than a mass-produced Hallmark. The pricing is reasonable considering that most items there are handcrafted and unique. The retro and art focus really appeals to me, and I often find myself popping in to browse when I was really just planning on walking to the dairy. There’s also a retro furniture shop next door, under the Mixt name, but I try to avoid going in as everything inside is fantastic and I can’t fit any more furniture in my house.

The bread and butter letter is hip and local-focused. Jewellery, prints, stationery, tea – it’s an eclectic store and you’re likely to find the perfect gift within its walls… maybe for the person you’re shopping for, definitely for yourself. I recently bought an absolutely adorable clear, bell-shaped umbrella, and I get all excited when it rains.

Super Trash is an absolutely ridiculous store. I love it. It sort of feels like it’s your grumpy great-uncle’s attic, and you’re allowed to look through it but only if you don’t mess anything up. There’s a lot of trash, if we’re being honest, but there’s also a lot of treasure and it’s so much fun to wander around and pick through the piles- the place is just jam-packed with interesting bits and bobs, and if you’re looking for a weird and unique gift but don’t know what, this is a good place to find it. The owner/operator is a wee bit grouchy but you’ll leave with a bargain.

Iko Iko is one of my favourite stores to browse, as they have a great mix of weird things that you’d sort of expect to only find on the internet. For example – I got a ceramic statue of an origami stegosaurus. That’s just the tip of the iceberg as far as the sort of awesome thing they carry. Most stock is reasonably priced, and it’s a great place to look for a last-minute gift for any of the weird/hip people in your life.

Mighty Ape has a pretty impressive stock of weird & wonderful things, which makes it easy to find something perfect for just about anyone, regardless of age or level of nerdiness. The customer service, shipping, and quality are consistently fabulous. Mighty Ape is by far my favourite NZ place to shop online.

I could spend hours in this store. I love kitchenware and Milly’s has it all. You’ll find yourself leaving with things you didn’t even realize you needed (but now that you’ve seen them, you don’t know how you’ve possibly gone this long in life without!) One of my favourite purchases is my banana protector. I run to and from work and my banana used to always get all squished and bruised in my backpack. Banana protector – genius! They’ve got great cookbooks and seasonal items as well (check out the Halloween display right now!)

Everything in here is gorgeous with an old-fashioned country feel to it. They always have beautiful wooden dining tables and chairs. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to redecorate your entire home immediately. I bought some copper serving dishes here, which I love!

I love all the cute, quirky little knick-knacks and decorative items available from Red Current – like hooks and knobs, photo frames and vases. They also do great beach bags and they carry the ‘MOR’ body products and ‘Glasshouse’ candles – my fave! I bought one of the vanilla-scented Glasshouse candles and not only does it make my entire house smell like freshly-baked cookies, it has lasted for about a million years!

I always thought this would be a great place to have a wedding gift registry, since they sell pretty much everything you could ever need for your home and have soooo much cool stuff. From vintage bottles and teapots to cushions and mirrors.

Love. Just LOVE. They have the coolest and most unique furniture, like a purple patchwork sofa and a teal, chipped “boatwood” coffee table. It’s definitely not cheap, but even if you don’t buy anything it’s worth visiting just for inspiration.

You will not regret a visit to Geoff’s Emporium. It’s your one-stop-shop for all things crafty at super cheap prices. They have pretty much everything you need for most projects, whether you’re making a Halloween costume or scrapbooking or coming up with new, creative home decor. The staff are lovely and are happy to help you find what you’re looking for or reach something that’s just a little too high.

Look Sharp is probably best known for its costumes, but it is secretly a crafter’s paradise. They’ve got paints and canvases for the artist, fondant tools, food colouring pastes and cupcake wrappers for the cake decorator and fabrics and threads for the stitcher. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg! All in one place and all very reasonably priced - love it!

This place has a great selection of yarn. You’re bound to find what you need in the perfect colour for that hat, scarf, baby blanket, etc. The staff are lovely and helpful and happy to answer questions and make suggestions. Plus they’re open 7 days, so you’re covered for all those last-minute yarn emergencies.

So many wonderfully talented people have stalls in Craft World. Even if you just go in for a look you’re likely to come out with something you just couldn’t walk away from. If you’re a crafty sort of person yourself, you’ll probably come out with all sorts of ideas of projects to to try yourself. Well worth a trip.

It can be a bit expensive, but Spotlight often has crafty stuff you just can’t find in other shops. It doesn’t matter what your chosen craft or hobby is, they’ll probably have what you need. As a crochet addict, I love the huge selection of yarn. Make sure you get a VIP card you can take advantage of all the sales.

This shop is great has a wide range of products, and quite reasonably priced

Father Rabbit has something for every single room of the house! What a gorgeous array of home wares,  house accessories and beautiful linens. Everything there feels so fresh, clean and practical. 

Received this lovely bunch from Flowers on Franklin, have used them in the past. Highly recommended!

Great little store, lots of gorgeous products for the home!

I really like popping in here when I'm in Ponsonby. I'm particularly fond of a club chair with patchwork upholstery! Style is a mix of exotic, vintage, reclaimed and modern. Not only do they stock a furniture they do have a large array of table wear, accessories, cushions etc etc. 

I found this was the best Auckland gift store Ive visited in New Zealand. I travel quite a bit, so to come into a store where I can see the variety of products all locally made from artists across New Zealand was awesome.

All the things you can appreciate about New Zealand all in one here as a gift. The convenience of the gift store is right inside the Auckland Museum which is very helpful. Quality products.

The Texan Arts School gift store in Syliva Park, Mt Wellington. I love the quality of New Zealand art and design in this store, at affordable prices too.

The quality of New Zealand Art and Design is a must see, well established artists from across the country and handy location central city as well.

This is definitely a place to visit if your looking for a youthful, vibrant, quirky little gift. Awesome work.

When it comes to kitchen design, I'm a big fan of clean, sharp lines, "less-is-more" design and a seriously cool splashback. Does my kitchen look like this? Not yet but I'm dreaming of my dream kitchen so imagine my surprise to have discovered the best kitchen design are in my local West Auckland area - New Lynn, to be exact. Owner Rebecca shares her customers' passion for creating show-stopping kitchens, laundry and wardrobes that are all about form and function but have a beautiful design twist. Their team are really knowledgable and make the process of choosing different fittings and products a cinch. Highly recommended!

Goodnest are an awesome way to book great local tradies and get your house cleaned, your lawns mowed or even electrical and plumbing work. Created by a couple of clever Kiwis, Goodnest matches you to the best tradie for your requirements, you pay online and voila! someone turns up to your place to do the job you need. What a way to make your nest a whole lot better and brighter!

A lot of my friends are painter-decorators by trade and the only paint they use is NZ-made Resene. World leaders in paint technology, this incredible company based in Lower Hutt in Wellington creates great paint that sticks and stays. For anyone who has done their own DIY painting, you'll know it's all about the consistency and Resene paints allow you to create clean walls with no streaky runs. Plus their colour palette is wide-ranging and there's no colours every season.

I love the fact that Central Landscape and Garden Supplies has a great selection of dry firewood available for winter. They often do deals on free delivery and it's awesome to know that you are buying firewood from a local, NZ-owned business. My local yards are in Swanson and in Glen Eden and I know when winter hits, these are the guys to call to find the firewood I need. And no matter which yard you choose, I reckon you always get a great result.

If you want to buy a sweet onesie for a fraction of the price of anywhere else then Bed, Bath and Beyond is the place to go. We picked up a choice camo onesie for about $20 on sale and, last winter, it became like my husband's second skin. There's also good options for kids too and the best thing about a onesie is it keeps you warm all winter!

When you want a gift of distinction to celebrate those special occasions in one's life, Red Letter Day will be able to guide you and if they don't have the personal accessory you are dreaming of, Lindy will be able to find it for you

Anthea's Jewellery started out as Anthea's antiques and she would be a regular customer at the fine art auction house I first trained in and so my love for beautiful jewellery began. If you are wanting something truly unique Anthea's will have it waiting for you :)

Wallace Cotton is now front of shop in the Ponsonby Central complex and if you love masses of white 100% cotton bedlinen trimmed with embroiderie anglaise, lace and satin ribboning, then Wallace Cotton is bound to have something you would love to give to someone else

JB Hi-Fi is a one stop shop for every type of audio visual gadget your man could ever want you to bring home lol. There's bound to be another 3D, LED Samsung TV waiting around to be taken home

Diane and Ian have been creating a wonderful business specialising in wedding, corporate and special occasions gift giving. I ADORE the Indulgent Chocolate Gift Boxes. They're stunning and each large box is fully colour co-ordinated, topped with silk flowers, ribbons and decorations and inside the box is FULL of decadent sweet treats

1st home or new home, Harvey Norman has always been the 1st stop for a lot of Kiwis when looking for homeware! Great furniture for all tastes at prices for all budgets with the support and passion of a Harvey professional.

Quirky, different and undeniably kiwi! Texan Art Schools are perfect for those finishing touches when you’re kitting out your home or flat. Great prints and posters to clocks and generic knick-knackery, kitsch to cosy and everything in between.

Briscoes is the perennial homeware store. As iconic as tomato sauce and almost as affordable! With something always on sale, it’s a quick win for anyone looking to furnish a room, a hallway or an entire home.

A collection of Pretty Little Things in one place. Gorgeous knicks and knacks along with jewellery, art and homeware for every taste and aesthetic. Emma has lovingly acquired treasures and gifts of a life-long vocation to stuff, immerse yourself.

Foodies unite and bask in the glow of cookware! At home bakers to barristas and beyond, truly something for every chef and kitchen, no matter their age or demands.

Friendly with a great range of garden lights.

Not just for corporate display, we love all the handy items & products that make craft, gifts & garage storage so much tidier at home!

"NZ designed & made, we just love our own letterboxes because they are unbreakable! Have 7 colours, keep your mail dry & more!"