Buying furniture in Dubai

So you’re new to Dubai and fresh off the boat. Now its time to get your house resembling a home. I don’t know about you, but I have always had the knack of ‘creating home’ very quickly with a few favorite pieces placed just so. As an Army wife we moved on average every 18 to 24 months, so I guess I just got very proficient at it. Being an expat is quite a challenge at times – but its always exciting. Sometimes the stress of a move can be a little much, its true, but making a home for your family has to be one of the bonuses!

Not all your old and much loved furniture pieces however will fit, or even look right, in your new abode. I remember when I moved to Bahrain years ago, my UK furniture looked like dolls house furniture! Ceiling heights of 3.5 meters had an odd effect on how my furniture looked, Alice in Wonderland springs to mind – tiny! This move though, has been a little chaotic to say the least. We have just moved into a brand new but very broken Villa here in Dubai and to make things a little trickier we have also downsized considerably. Squeezing a 6 bed roomed, mini ranch into a three bed roomed Arabian Villa has to date involved a lot of creativity and controlled de-cluttering. Unless I could find a way to glue furniture to the roof, some of it simply had to go, to be replaced with lots of multi-functional storage. Every little nook and cranny had to be cleverly utilised. This magical transformation is also requiring an awful lot of Furniture and Storage shopping much to my Husband’s disgust and my delight.

We, my Husband and I, have walked miles and searched high an low for what we need and compromised on what we want. We set a budget and had to stick to it for the first time in years. Luckily, Dubai is a place that gives happily. We are very lucky to have available to us beautiful colorful Souks (Souk Al Bahar) and Markets (Dragon Mart), second-hand or used furniture sites such as Dubizzle and the usual European suspects such as Ikea, which is great for mid-priced storage solutions. At the top, luxury end we found Marina which has beautiful french styled furniture. Pieces you can keep for years and as I told my Husband, I will be taking these pieces one day to my lovely French Farmhouse! I don’t know why but he looked bemused!

…And then there’s the garden, which is another favorite room! There are many garden furniture shops selling beautiful wooden furniture for your garden rooms. Try Balchick Garden and Outdoor Furniture.

There is no doubt whilst under pressure to get your house functional, you will have to be on your toes and quick about the absolutely essential items. The rest you can take your time with. Luckily we are spoilt in Dubai. Generally there aren’t those tedious 12 week waiting times to receive your furniture. The most you wait for stock items are a few hours to 6 days. I must mention those lovely talented people called interior designers who can help you plan everything from your cutlery to curtains.  You don’t have to blow the budget. Many companies such a Potterybarn offer tailor-made services. UK’s Laura Ashley are known for their Mood Boards costing little but giving you lots of ideas and a good starting point.

Happy Shopping!