Putting together a comfortable and fashionable house that you will still love 10 years down the road can be one of the toughest tasks that face a young bride to-be. Here is a guide of several furniture shops and interior showrooms around Cairo covering various styles and price ranges.
Buying furniture can entail lots of window shopping and little buying at the beginning; the first few times you visit furniture shop, keep in mind that you are collecting ideas and creating a list of prices in your head.
Here are some places you should check as you embark on your furniture shopping journey. Alcazar, off Korba in Heliopolis, is one of the best furniture places in town. Their showroom is breathtaking and they use the best kinds of wood, such as oak and cherry. The style is between stylishly comfortable and art deco. The designs are creative and very well-executed.
But the Alcazar price range is definitely on the high side of the scale. The average price for a couch, coffee table or chair will cost around LE5,000, excluding the fabric. Alcazar has among his staff a number of foreign designers. Make your order four to five months prior to wedding or moving date.
Another furniture-shopping pillar is Mit Rihan in Maarshly, Zamalek. The showroom is known for is impeccable taste of contemporary/Oriental designs. You can also find art deco items. The finishing is flawless and the furniture will be delivered to you within two months. However, the place is overpriced and would leave you wondering why you are paying such amounts of money on wood! Prices offered for sofas and chairs exclude the fabric.
Not far from Mit Rihan, you will find Caravanserai, heaven on earth for Oriental furniture lovers. Caravanserai also designs lightings and home accessories. The showroom is breathtaking and all designs combine contemporary with ethnic in a graceful and hip way. Again, the store is pricey, and make sure you place your order three months prior. A 50 percent deposit is needed upon placing an order.
Fayek is a point you have to stop by whether or not you are buying; for classic and steel furniture lovers, this is your heaven, but everything comes with a price. Two collections are offered — classic and classic with a twist, which is less rigid and more contemporary. Fayek excels in marquetry, woodwork with patterns, and their specialty is French dining rooms, for which the price can go up to LE100,000. An order has to be placed five months prior. Some might find the merchandise heavy and old-fashioned, but a piece from Fayek is definitely an asset. The Royal Suite at the Four Seasons First Residence is furnished by Fayek.
Also make sure to pay a visit to Eklego showroom in Zamalek or Designopolis and check out their latest creations, from contemporary chandeliers and L-shape couches to glasses and wine decanters. Although Eklego’s main aim is to sell a whole home concept, you will still find items that you can buy separately. The average price for a chandelier is between LE500–800 and an L-shaped couch can cost up to LE16,000.
Alcazar: 17. Seezoustrees St., Korba, Heliopolis.
Mit Rihan: 13 Maraashly St., Zamalek.
Caravanserai: 15 Ahmed Heshmat St., Zamalek.
Fayek: 27 Abdel Moneim Riad St., Cairo.
Eklego: 8 Al-Sheikh al-Marsafy St., Zamalek.
