A young family's first home adventure
When Ellie and Josh finally got the keys to their very first home in Long Bay, it was one of those pinch-me moments. They stood in the middle of their empty living room, baby Ollie balanced on Ellie’s hip, taking in the obstacle course of cardboard boxes and the random pieces of mismatched furniture.
“Well,” Josh said, surveying the space, “I guess it’s dinner on the floor again tonight.” “Only if we can find the box with the forks,” Ellie grinned.
Like many young couples, they'd scrimped and saved for years to get here. Josh’s parents had generously chipped in a bit of money to help with the deposit, and now Ellie’s parents gave them a healthy sum for the fun part: turning this house into a home.
With their tiny family growing – Ollie had just turned six months – it wasn’t just about style. They needed practical, comfy, durable stuff too. And ideally, they wanted to find everything without having to drag a baby across half of Auckland. So, after a bit of late-night Googling while tag-teaming baby feeds, they made a plan. One place. Everything they needed. Albany Mega Centre.
First stop: Farmers Home
They needed a sofa big enough to handle movie nights, toddler tumbles, and maybe the odd nap. After flopping onto what felt like every couch in the store, they finally found The One – a deep, squishy three-seater with just the right bounce.
Josh lay back, arms spread. “This feels like home already.”
They also picked out a simple, modern dining table. Nothing too fancy, but enough room for dinner with friends or messy pasta nights with Ollie in his highchair. Matching seats will need to wait for another day.
The Baby Factory
Next on the list: Ollie’s room. The Baby Factory was a lifesaver. A new cot that didn’t squeak (hallelujah) and some adorable wall decals with sleepy animals. Ellie picked up a nightlight shaped like a little cloud. “Think this will make him sleep through the night?” she joked.
“I think I need one of these for myself,” Josh replied, eyeing the comfy feeding chair.
Bed, Bath & Beyond and Briscoes
Then it was time for the essential bits and bobs: kitchen utensils, storage baskets and laundry hampers. Bed, Bath & Beyond had them sorted with a decent dinnerware set (goodbye mismatched student plates), sharp kitchen knives, and a laundry basket that wouldn’t collapse under pressure.
Over at Briscoes, they found a set of non-stick frying pans Josh was weirdly excited about, and some crisp new towels that felt like a hotel upgrade.
“I didn’t know I could get this excited about a dish rack,” Ellie laughed, holding up a sleek black one.
Adairs: the cherry on top
Finally, they popped into Adairs. By now, they had most of what they needed, but this stop was all about the feel-good stuff. They picked up a couple of soft throws for the couch, a statement lamp for the corner of the living room, and a few little ornaments that brought some personality into their space.
“Now this feels like us,” Ellie said, as she placed a beautiful scented candle and a cheeky little clock for the hallway, onto the counter.
Back home again
Back in Long Bay, the following weekend, with the new items delivered, they sat at the new dining table with both sets of parents.
“Look at us,” Josh’ said, “Just like real adults with real furniture.” “Almost,” Ellie replied, popping open a box of takeaway. “I still have no idea where the forks are.”
It wasn’t perfect but it was theirs. And thanks to the big variety of homeware stores all in one place at Albany Mega Centre they were well on the way to creating their ideal home.