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Just bought a property in Dubrovnik and need to furnish it?

There are many beautiful properties in Dubrovnik and once you buy your dream property (and finally legally own it!), the next step is of course how to go about furnishing it. With our interiors industry experience we look into the possibilities on behalf of Guide2Dubrovnik readers who might be in this position, and are wondering how to go about it!

Although not immediately obvious, there are many furniture shops in Dubrovnik, for all tastes, styles and pocket. Even if you've just bought a place here and have spent quite a bit of time here on and off, the chances are you have probably haven't thought that much about where you will buy the furniture you will need in your house. Maybe you thought you will bring everything from your home country, or maybe you had intended to pop into the nearest IKEA and have realized there isn't one! You have probably spent so much time dealing with buying your property and getting to know Dubrovnik really well as a tourist but maybe you need a few local tips on the best places to get furniture in the area. Furniture stores aren't really on the tourist map here and when you think about it, you don't really come across them as a matter of course!

Once you start looking, the most common furniture you'll come across, is produced and designed in Italy. Although Italians are considered masters of design and produce a wide range of attractive and good quality furniture, it is worth knowing that Italian furniture is not stocked in the shops in Dubrovnik and therefore can't normally be bought and collected, as you might be used to doing in IKEA for example. To buy Italian furniture in Dubrovnik, you need to order it and wait around 2-3 months for delivery. So before you fall in love with the latest range, bear in mind that you will need to be back in town for its delivery, and check timescales if you are working to a deadline. Another factor is that although some items may be on display, you may also have to choose what you want from a brochure and obviously that isn't ideal as you can't see the finish of the items up close to tell how they will look in your property and really see what you are buying. Italian furniture is usually very good quality and you probably wouldn't be disappointed, but it's just something to consider. Of course, this option can also be quite expensive as you are actually importing goods into the country and transportation costs are factored into the price - so shop around before you decide!

Aside from Italian furniture, Dubrovnik also stocks furniture produced in Bosnia, Slovenia, Poland, the Czech Republic, Indonesia, and even China! There isn't actually much furniture produced in Croatia itself. In fact, it is probably more accurate to say and really worth knowing, that Croatia doesn't have its own furniture brand. Some statistics say that Croatia would save a lot of money if it produced its own furniture, but that hasn't transpired as yet. So if you aren't keen to buy and wait for Italian furniture or furniture from elsewhere, perhaps the craft option is more up your street; In Dubrovnik and the rest of Croatia you can find many small home producers of furniture, made to measure. They aren't necessarily the fastest option, but some of these producers are true woodwork masters and you would certainly get what you wanted if you took this route!

Of course, if you decide none of the above are really what you want, there are few local places you can check out and browse around...

One of two recently opened furniture stores is Prima Commerce located in Župa Dubrovačka. Here you can find everything for quite cheap prices and you don't have to wait too long for delivery. This type of furniture is most suitable if you are intending to rent your property out because the quality is not so high that it becomes very pricey, but is convenient if you need to equip your property as soon as possible and if you ever need to replace things.

At the same location where is Prima you can also visit Meblo Trade. It is a huge store where you can get both furniture and also things like wall paper and material for curtains etc. In this store you can find both modern furniture and antique rustic furniture so it's not a bad place to start! They also sell wrought iron furniture that works really well for garden summer houses, gardens and balconies. The prices in this store are quite high, but the quality justifies the price.

Across from Prima and Meblo, you could also check out Spiona which is not just a furniture store, but which also stocks everything for the home such as lamps, carpets, pots, small home appliances, etc.

There are also a couple of bigger stores located in Dubrovnik. One is in the department store called Minčeta and the other is Linea Ltd that is right behind the department store ( Žuljanska 1, 00385 20 356 012).

The newly opened store, Magma Home, located on the last floor of department store Srđ, is also worth a look.

The best kitchen furniture you can find is at I.V. Design. It has modern furniture, perfect for creating that exclusive atmosphere that you might be after. It's similar to what you can find at Perak Interijeri store (Iva Dulčića 15, Dubrovnik, 00385 20 438 645) and very nice indeed.

If you want designer furniture such as Fendi, you should visit Lobel Gallery located in the Old Town. Here you can even ask an architect or designer for advice and consultancy.

If you are looking for rattan furniture you should visit Urbi Interijeri. The good thing about this shop is that it stocks both new and used furniture at prices that are sometimes up for negotiation. Sometime in stores selling goods imported from China or Indonesia, the profit margin can be as high as 400% of the original purchase value. So, why not try to negotiate!

If you have already equipped your home and you run your own business here in Dubrovnik, you can find office, hotel, and restaurant furniture at Prestige Trade.

For small producers where you order exactly what you want, try Arcus, and Obrt Britvela where you can find everything for construction and carpentry (from windows and doors to furniture made to measure). You can find them at Put dr. Ante Starčevića 3, Srebreno, 20207 Mlini, 00385 20 48 58 32.

There are certainly quite a lot more options in Dubrovnik than you might first think and it's definitely worth familiarizing yourself with what's on offer before you try to go down the route of bringing furniture and goods from your home country. If you do decide to bring a household of goods over, or even a sofa, make sure you check out the import restrictions and duties or you might be in for a nasty shock when you are stopped and charged at the border and it could be a false economy. It may be the only option if you can't find what you want here in Dubrovnik but bear in mind, it may turn out to be a more expensive option.

So! With all that in mind, good luck with furnishing your property!


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