While we can get our hands on just about anything online, there’s nothing quite like browsing IRL in a beautifully designed boutique. That’s especially true when making a key purchase – like a new fragrance, a designer garment, or a piece of furniture. Some of Tāmaki Makaurau’s best stores will have you talking as much about the space as the thoughtfully curated offering.

Aotea – Commercial Bay
Tama Toki adopted the te reo Māori name of his home, Great Barrier Island, for his Indigenous-influenced, native flora-based skincare company – and Aotea’s concept store in Commercial Bay is also inspired by the island. It was designed by Auckland-based studio Wonder Group to feel like a refuge from the pace of modern life, with cocooning honey-toned walls that tie in with the native mānuka and kānuka trees in Aotea’s products.

You can test the company’s balms and creams while standing around the large kauri slab in the heart of the store. It originates from a tree on the northern cliffs of Te Hauturu-o-Toi (Little Barrier Island) that fell in a storm over 20 years ago and was retrieved from the water. Try a fragrant handwash or cleanser at the sink on the back wall; made of rusted concrete and corrugated iron, the sink takes its cue from an old communal wash basin and the island’s many weathered sheds. Commercial Bay, Ground Floor, 7 Queen Street

Never miss a moment. Make sure you're subscribed to our newsletter today.

SUBSCRIBE NOW

Yu Mei Lounge – Newmarket
Kiwi leather goods label Yu Mei calls its luxurious stores “lounges” – and while the company is based in Wellington, its Newmarket lounge is a stylish home away from home.
The elegant space was fashioned by interior design firm Knight Associates and is divided into three zones.

You can browse current collection pieces in the “reception” (the main front shop space) and head through glass double doors at the rear that open into a “gallery” with shoppable past-season Yu Mei styles. Further out the back, there’s a kitchen area for shopping events and product launches. Materially, it all feels cohesive, with Oamaru stone plinths from the same South Island region as Yu Mei’s signature deer nappa, stained oak displays and onyx marble.

The furniture looks like works of art – vintage Jean-Marie Massaud occasional chairs; a deep green Camaleonda sofa by Mario Bellini; iconic corrugated cardboard Frank Gehry Wiggle side chairs; and a silk bamboo rug by New Zealand company Nodi. There are also actual artworks to admire, such as a painting by Gretchen Albrecht and a quirky, sculptural light by Yona Lee. 8 Kent Street, Newmarket

Slow Store – Grey Lynn
Even if you’re familiar with Slow and its curation of modern designer furniture and homewares, visiting its Victorian-era showroom in Grey Lynn puts everything in context. The space is curated by interior designer and founder Martina Blanchard in a way that looks like a home, so you can see and feel how each piece would be an addition to your own.

The base of the two-level store itself is a blank canvas, with a shadow-like custom-made wallpaper from artist Pascale Risbourg to break up the white-painted brick walls.

Alongside timeless mainstay brands such as Frama, Pols Potten and Ferm Living, Slow is the exclusive Aotearoa stockist of Byron Bay designer Sarah Ellison. She’s best known for her ’70s-inspired pieces such as the faux-shearling Huggie chair and rattan inlay Halston console. 10 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn

Faradays – Parnell
When Faradays opened in late 2021, it raised the bar for New Zealand’s luxury goods scene. The opulent fashion, beauty and homewares emporium was founded by Edward and Constance von Dadelszen and stocks high-end labels Alaia, Loewe, Giuseppe Zanotti and Olivia von Halle, plus their own eponymous label.

Aside from what you can buy (or try), there are plenty of extra trimmings including valet parking, personal styling, bouquets from Grace and Flora and ever-changing artworks from Gow Langsford Gallery. Take a moment at the equally high-end in-house bar along one side of the space, fronted by an eye-catching Tony Cragg sculpture. Drink from a French-heavy wine and champagne list and order decadent snacks – think caviar and French fries with truffle crème.

The romantic, moody fit-out is the work of Cheshire Architects (The Hotel Britomart, Mr Morris) with four-metre-high studs, exposed timber beams and matai wood floors. Patagonian and Norwegian marble tables and theatrical, soft fabric displays mean there’s always something to admire. 8 Faraday Street, Parnell

The Shelter – Ponsonby
New Zealand designer Vicki Taylor is behind The Shelter, where patrons are encouraged to get lost in the semi-concealed pockets of fashion, accessories and objects throughout the airy warehouse space. It’s got an oversized New York loft vibe, with polished concrete floors and stark black displays that are ideal backdrops for designers such as Rick Owens, Mason Margiela and Uma Wang.

Several large indoor trees keep the space from being too stark, and there’s a rear courtyard should you need some fresh air and a sit-down. 78 Mackelvie Street, Ponsonby

**Curionoir – Grey Lynn**
Curionoir makes heady, concentrated scents, including candles, perfume and soaps – and its flagship store is suitably theatrical. A large wooden counter sits centrally in the dimly lit space, shrouded by thick red velvet curtains. Along one wall, stained walnut and aged brass cubbies stretch almost floor-to-ceiling, filled with objects of different shapes, shades and materials, such as colourful glass candles, sculptural clay vessels and porcelain receptacles with intriguing stoppers.

Founder and fragrance developer Tiffany Witehira describes the apothecary-like store as a slow-paced, calming place to treat the senses while being a “working studio” where customers are immersed in, and educated about, the offerings. It is an evocative, soothing escape from the outside world. 74-76 Ponsonby Road, Grey Lynn