posted
Hi folks, hope mostly everyone is doing fine.
Can anyone please recommend where to shop for furniture in Cairo? I need a sofa and a dinner table and what I look for is Europe-style simple lines and fresh fabrics, not too expensive, not designer. But hopefully soft . For example, I quite like the sofas on Shatex webpages, does anyone know what their price level is? And I know there is a furniture salon in Maadi Carrefour that has a selection of styles that are quite fine, just that perhaps I would prefer to pay less for a simple table in Egypt.
So I'm basically asking, are there any larger shops anywhere else, or perhaps a street where several good options exist together? Because we have two small kids and we come from Menoufeya, we simply do not have time to look around but mostly just go to a definite address, buy or no , and then back home.
posted
From what I remember, there's quite a lot of furniture shops in City Stars - including Istikibal which has some really nice looking modern stuff (but is INCREDIBLY expensive!!!). A lot of people here find a carpenter and give him a page out of the Ikea catalogue to copy! I used some pictures out of the Argos catalogue to get my bedroom furniture made and I love it - its white with echoes of 'shaker' style. Couldn't be doing with the jolly old dark brown stuff oppressing me!
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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posted
Try Meffco Helwan. It has 3 floors of furniture and reasonable prices. Cheaper than Habitat and Istikbal,
It is on the Pyramids Rd Giza and Habitat is opposite. just ask anyone for directions. It is very well known.
Posts: 3416 | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Oh thanks, CHH! Especially if Habitat is also there I might do both (was thinking Habitat makes mattresses only :-O ).
Thanks also Shanta! Perhaps CityStars will be on the list for Christmas shopping venues but last two times I was there we just ran through around 1/3, constantly lost count where exactly we are and had time to shop only in Mothercare and a cosmetics store, then our toddler was exhausted and strted complaining. A monster store! (though great for shopping of course)
And what concerns carpenters here in Delta then in the beginning i thought too that I take everything from them, support the local economy, so to say.. Wheez! They have work usually for 3-4 months ahead, then they take your perfectly simple design (e.g. a table like a box) and add a curve here and a carving there ("to make it more beautiful..") so in the end if you did not have good luck to come by and stop them, you get a regular Louis-whatever in somewhat simplified form . They simply do not believe someone might actually like straight lines and no decorations. And the quality is not too good. If they did not have work and I needed support them I would tolerate it. But I prefer the insides of cupboards painted, too, and the wood smoothed and not thorny, and there are ways of making the drawers move out and in effortlessly, nowadays. Etc, etc. I still have a bookshelf and some smaller items I take from them anyway, but a sofa needs to be comfy, most importantly, and a table perhaps I need more fast since Christmas is nearing.
Many thanks, though I will come back to see if there will be more great tips here!
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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DONT GO IN HABITAT!!!!!! THEY ARE A BUNCH OF CROOKS
I was interested in buying a 3 piece suite in there. The prices were quite clearly labelled (in Arabic) on the 2 sofas + chair and came to about 8000LE.
The salesman said - that doesn't include the 10% tax so the real price is 8800LE. Oh and our visa machine is broken so you will need to pay cash. There's an ATM outside.
Does he think I'm stupid or what? Obviously he was hoping to grab 800LE for himself. In best 'News of the World' tradition I made my excuses and left.
Bought a very comfortable 3 piece suite from Miffco Helwan over the road for 6000LE.
PS the 3-seater sofa has occasionally done time as a spare bed Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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Unbelievable Never saw so many swindling employees as I saw in Egypt. And soooo stupid!!! So stupid that it makes me laugh when they try again....
-------------------- “Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field. I will meet you there.” Posts: 7202 | From: EU | Registered: Nov 2006
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quote:Originally posted by Shanta Qadeama: DONT GO IN HABITAT!!!!!! THEY ARE A BUNCH OF CROOKS
I was interested in buying a 3 piece suite in there. The prices were quite clearly labelled (in Arabic) on the 2 sofas + chair and came to about 8000LE.
The salesman said - that doesn't include the 10% tax so the real price is 8800LE. Oh and our visa machine is broken so you will need to pay cash. There's an ATM outside.
Does he think I'm stupid or what? Obviously he was hoping to grab 800LE for himself. In best 'News of the World' tradition I made my excuses and left.
Bought a very comfortable 3 piece suite from Miffco Helwan over the road for 6000LE.
PS the 3-seater sofa has occasionally done time as a spare bed
I have got my doubts about Habitat too. We sat on our chosen style of sofa in the shop and it was so comfortable, so we ordered it in the fabric of our choice. The sofa that we took delivery of though is not very comfortable, I had to take stuffing out of some of the back cushions and all three seat cushions have different levels of firmness. Its not a year old yet and I am thinking to get new seat cushions made.
Hi Nevermind nice to see you checking in, gosh is it 2 children now,,,congratulations I am a big fan of In and Out..there is a branch in Nasser city but they are not cheap, but on the other hand their furniture is very good.
Posts: 3809 | From: Paradise | Registered: Mar 2003
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Hi Penny . Good to know about Habitat. Anyway we even did not take mattresses from them but from a company called Janssen I believe which I mistakenly took to be the world famous Norwegian Jenssen hehee . So we'll see where the promised 10 year's guarantee will lead us.
I think I read somewhere in the web as if the showroom in Maadi Carrefour that I have visited, is also In and Out, though am not 100% sure. The variety was not bad indeed. I want one of those new(?) designs - a corner set basically consisting of wide low boxes, whatever you call it in proper English.
And yes can you imagine... not yet 4 years, but 2 kids! It's a roller coaster, but a nice one.
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Yes, thanks, I found the website, too, and it looks good, though prices are mostly missing then a large corner sofa was offered for 6400, for example. Not bad.
Someone mentioned elsewhere that the street in Nasr City where In & Out seems to be, has even more similar shops, or at least furniture shops, which perhaps makes it one destination for us, while I certainly want to see this Miffco, too, because there is nothing better than when something good is at the same time also cheap . Or maybe through Miffco to the Carrefour In&Out.
and Istikbal seems to be Turkish, my god are all good things Turkish nowadays? There is already Beymen and there are Molfix diapers for babies, all Turkish, and even local jeans sellers push jeans "made in Turkey".
Shatex webpage is here: www.shatex.net a bit like this In & Out, though only soft furniture or, if you love pillows, then check out their pillow designs.
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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Not too expensive in my opinion. (I didn't like In & Out, to me they looked a bit cheap.)
Posts: 758 | From: Finland | Registered: Jun 2006
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Bahgat stores Nasr city Makram ebeid or Abbas el akad and in October 6th. and Kian in city stars Nasr city or Arcadia mall corniche el nil, far eastern stuff on the expensive side.
Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
Vow! Even more choice here. Thanks! Isn't that Makram Ebeid a street with quite a lot of furniture shops? Because I think In&Out has the main showroom there and someone kind of mentioned this street somewhere else, too. Though in Nasr City they probably have a lot of design furniture. While in my humble part when people come to visit me I need them look at me (me! me!! ) and not my furniture.
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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Humble ? then go to 'Manasra' its where you'll find whole-salers.. that's if you get to attaba ask for the Abdelaziz st. selling electical appliances, then take a right into manasra.. Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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posted
We got our living room stuff at a place in Mohandisseen called Tarek Trade...really comfy sofa and love seat and a chair. I also recommend going to MFFCO in Giza/Haram, and to stay away from Habitat (cept for the mattresses) - cuz they are crazy with their prices. After we had already bought all of our furniture we visited the Bahgat group in 6th of October, and they had a TON of stuff. It all depends on your taste. For me...I wanted comfy, minimum of carving in the wood (think dusting), and NO GOLD !
Posts: 1103 | From: 6th of October | Registered: Jun 2007
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posted
He-hee, jean_bean, in two words you've captured my local shopping concept: NO GOLD
I need a corner sofa because I have no room for sets in my living room and I do not like room be crowded with furniture. I now know IN&OUT and SHATEX both have some and they look good to my eye, but I do not know their quality. The Living Mix up here is what I call "too much design, too little comfort" (though no harm of course from loving design over comfort ) or maybe it is a bit too modern for me.
PLUS, I do not know if I could find something decent (not local carpentry quality and not Louis-XXX) somewhere for even less than 6000? (because why pay more if can get for less)
What is this MFFCO style can anyone describe a bit? (My god 5 minuts later I just found this one also in web: www.mffco.com) Also, I would prefer something with real metallic springs inside, not the foam. And a good heavywear fabric. and simple rectangular shape. And table the same - 6-8 persons, simple rectangular, minimum gloss, preferably dark wood (am somewhat tired of IKEA type of light shades from my previous life )
Anyway, thanks for up to here, one bit of info leads to another and I already have some picture wher I previously had non. Especially all those names help because then I can already search & see, etc.
For some oriental opulence I could quite consider something from there even (but I bet they are even more expensive than In&Out etc.). It kind of suits to be a bit opulent in Egypt (and my husband though he generally supports my somewhat minimalistic taste, i think secretly still he would be so happy!! )
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Again..KIAN on City Stars or Arcadia mall, just to have an idea. Posts: 3219 | From: Wisdom comes with age, but sometimes age comes alone. | Registered: Nov 2005
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Quite a large floor of more European styles. They have swatches of materials and you choose the design then the material you like. I got my there and it's very comfy, Shanta's is very comfy too. It's made in Helwan and you can buy separate pieces and not whole suites if you like. They had 'boxy' types and corner units as well as 3 piece.
The kitchen section has traditional carved, and more plain round and oblong, kitchen, dining room, varied colours of tables.
The girl on that floor is really really helpful and polite. Can't remember her name but no veil, small and petite.
Also no one hassles you at all. No sales MEN!!!Minimum of staff which is great
Only that girl on the floor and you browse in peace Posts: 3416 | Registered: Oct 2007
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posted
Ok, thanks. I was already dropping this MFFCO because what they show in web is quite traditional, though perhaps advanced traditional
KIAN.. thanks I remember seeing something perhaps in Sharm or in this El Beit magazine where I understand only pictures and advertising but we buy anyway, to learn what is available locally. But I remember for more like knickknack (lamps, side tables etc.)
On the other hand I found even MFFCO also has shop on Makram Ebeid in Nasr. Seems they are all there! (perhaps MFFCO in Giza is bigger though?) which makes it perhaps an all-in-one destination?
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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I got all my bedroom furniture made and my folks got all there lounge furniture made as well...
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
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posted
A friend mentioned Citystars when I was last in Cairo. I have just looked it up and it looks GREAT
Would you guys say that its worth having a visit? Also the cinema there, does it show films in English or Arabic?
Posts: 132 | Registered: Nov 2008
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City Stars is great but expensive. Even shops that are the same as UK shops are more expensive than you would pay in England! The cinema shows films in both Arabic and English - including the latest 'blockbusters'. Its modern and comfortable and I didn't find that it was any more noisy than a UK cinema. I still can't get used to there being a break in the film after about 45 minutes for snacks or cigarettes but then I found that bizarre when I went to the cinema in Holland, so maybe playing a film all the way through without stopping is just a British thing - I don't know!
Posts: 5593 | From: Egypt | Registered: Dec 2005
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Having a snack break sounds mad Mind you I remember when I lived in East London for a year, the local cinema to my flat allowed people in with their dinner, beer and ciggies. It was like being in someone's front room!
Posts: 132 | Registered: Nov 2008
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No, it was Stepney Green near Whitechapel. It's a little cinema called the Genesis. Never seen anything like it before.
Posts: 132 | Registered: Nov 2008
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QM? Queen Mary? No. I went to the University of Essex in Colchester. When I moved back to London, I moved to Stepney to live with a couple of mates. My family are in South London so I figured that anywhere that was not within a short tube ride would be a good place to live.
I live in North West London now.
Posts: 132 | Registered: Nov 2008
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I just looked at the website and it looks very nice, esp. hard furniture. Thanks Dalia! Contemporary but borrowing the best of oriental styles.
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Thanks nevermind for bringing up this topic again as I did not see it when it first started.
As for furniture, beds, closets and shelves, I have a good carpenter, you just give him a design and he would copy it, good eye and also good hands, a bit expensive though. If you are interested, I can send you his contacts.. I am very happy with him..
I am also looking for a corner sofa and also a sofa bed, have you had any luck so far? I am into simple modern furniture not the golden TAREK Style (http://www.tarek-furniture-industries.com/).
Another thing that I am looking for is a good mattress, the material should be something natural though, I am very much into 100% natural latex. Does anyone know if they do exist in Egypt? I am not interested in Synthetic Latex or any other Synthetic material, only 100% natural material.
posted
lol, "natural latex" certainly sounds like a contradiction.
We have found nice stuff at Habitat, though some people find them a little overpriced. They do have some of that goofy ornate style, but lots of comfy looking "normal" stuff too.
Same with Tarek Trade when we were there. There is a branch in Mohandiseen that we just looked at and they had both styles. Maybe in other branches it's different, but they had corner sofas and some other nice things that didn't look like they belonged in a castle.
There's also a branch of Taki (the one by the factory but I can't remember what area it's in) that has like 5 floors of stuff, a couple of the floors are just couches, and again, both styles, the "fancy" stuff and "normal" stuff.
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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quote:Originally posted by LovedOne: lol, "natural latex" certainly sounds like a contradiction.
Sorry lovedOne if I were unclear.. Do you think natural latex does not exist? Please correct me if I am mistaken!
Check this one: under product groups, it says: Latex mattresses 100% natural latex rubber - optimum elasticity - Good for your spinal colum - good fire and insect resistance.
posted
You were not unclear. However it is clear that you didn't understand I wasn't being serious. I was just stating that it sounded funny. The words latex and natural do not go together in my head. Carry on.
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
hmmm natural latex.. reminds me of when my neice used the expression 'it is the same but different' to convey to me what she meant.
Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
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quote:Originally posted by nevermind: Contemporary but borrowing the best of oriental styles.
Yup, that's exactly what I like about it. The quality is great too.
I wanted to get a few additional items, but unfortunately, the bedroomset I have is not available anymore. Guess I'll just have to have them custom-made.
How did you get to the site? I just noticed the links are not working anymore. This is the new address:
quote:Originally posted by nevermind: Contemporary but borrowing the best of oriental styles.
Yup, that's exactly what I like about it. The quality is great too.
I wanted to get a few additional items, but unfortunately, the bedroomset I have is not available anymore. Guess I'll just have to have them custom-made.
How did you get to the site? I just noticed the links are not working anymore. This is the new address:
How is the pricing compared to other places around? I really like the look of their stuff but it's a bit of a drive for us to go check them out in person. If they're a bit higher priced we might just wait a while to go see.
Posts: 1283 | From: Cairo | Registered: Feb 2006
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posted
I don't remember exactly, Sashyra, I bought my things a few years ago and I wrote down the prices I payed in the catalogue, but I don't have it here with me right now.
I bought a big bed (180x200), a mirror frame of 180 cm height, and a nicely carved bedside table. Altogether I payed maybe the equivalent of 500-600 Euros.
Posts: 2803 | Registered: Feb 2007
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^ [I know it is expensive by Egyptian standards but] that's quite nice price! I don't think it is expensive at all. We have similar set (but not from the said store) and it was much more!!!
Posts: 758 | From: Finland | Registered: Jun 2006
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Oh, I found the price very reasonable, particularly because the quality is really good. In Germany I would have payed four to five times as much. But by Egyptian standards, it's a bit expensive. I am still planning to get a wardrobe to go with it, hope they will make it even though they don't offer this particular style anymore.
Posts: 2803 | Registered: Feb 2007
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quote:Originally posted by *Dalia*: I don't remember exactly, Sashyra, I bought my things a few years ago and I wrote down the prices I payed in the catalogue, but I don't have it here with me right now.
I bought a big bed (180x200), a mirror frame of 180 cm height, and a nicely carved bedside table. Altogether I payed maybe the equivalent of 500-600 Euros.
Excellent price for such quality,by our Western standards at least.
Posts: 3833 | From: here,there,everywhere | Registered: Nov 2007
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posted
Also I find it a good price because whatever is expensive by Egyptian standard, still so many things are even more expensive here than they are in Europe, and someone must buy these, too, because I see lots of such expensive shops... The worst is if it is basically "sbala" for that price, as it seems to be with In&Out soft furniture (their hard sets are another story, perhaps), but also Shatex, a company I had long thought I shall buy from, but in Citystars their "boxy" corner set, just for max 4 or 5 small persons, cost 10 000LE! OK their fabric is gorgeous what they make, but sofa was usual and filled with usual foam...
Pinocchio looked very expensive in web, am really surprised they give such nice prices. I thought a mere bookself from them would cost 600 EUR.. Atleast for a similar full wood shelf set for living room they asked 6000 (six thousand) LE in a shop by the International Fair grounds at the time of a furniture fair, I think it was 2 yrs ago. A company from Alex, do not remember name. Maybe they were trying their luck with me or something?
About latex mattresses... why in the holy world would you sleep on something like that??? if you have nice box mattresses available from e.g. Habitat, from Janssen, from TAKI... (Taki quality I do not know but don't they produce those coveted mattresses for the Marriott chain that even sells them to their clients on premises? At least they have a mattress called MArriott
I once slept on a natural latex (kautchuk then perhaps?) mattress in a home in Germany, and the peole were also so proud of it (which is why I know it was natural latex). My was it hot and se'weaty to sleep on it, no air pasing at all. So I quite think for the Egyptian climate here - forget latex! Buy a nice decent two seasons spring box, winter side with wool or polyester, summer side with cotton stuffing, all covered with nice body-friendly cotton.
BTW, Ladies, gents - seems to be this is the week-end of another Cairo Furniture Fair, 18-22 Nov. All, pick up your anti-swine flu private protection equipment and... to the Convention Centre! Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Here's a really helpful explanation about a blended latex mattress and it's breathability. Sleep EZ is a manufacturer of latex mattresses, third generation family business in USA Arizona. They have the best product at the best prices. See article on their Blog: Blended Latex or Natural Latex? Facts You Should Know Before You Buy! posted May 24, 2010.
posted
Having got so much help on this thread and having seen some that Cairo has to offer (though by no means all, esp not much of the imported furniture or the shops at Makram Ebeid), I feel obliged to show what I finally got, from a local carpenter... .
It happened so, that a friend of mine, who runs a business of supplying interior decorators, had her sofa made by a local carpenter in Mahalla, so I reasoned if she was satisfied, I must be. Also, we found a new "shop" here in Shebin where we liked the owner's attitude and even what he initally offered (we ordered the chairs and table first). Add to it, that everything we saw in Cairo that was within our budget, was very cheap quality really, while here we got to see with our own eyes how the springs inside our sofa got tied. Was not so difficult to decide in the end.
There is one more puff (?) that is not on the photo.
It is now not the creme de la creme or anything, but we do live in a village. The air here is full of dust to such extent that I do not see it worthwhile to buy anything expensive even if money was begging to waste it. And we have a 2yrs and 3yrs in the house. But I wanted something of (hidden) quality that gets better with age, and not worse, and some clean simple lines. Not very creative that one perhaps, but still, kind of refreshing if you know what you usually see in an Egyptian home. Perfect for lounging in front of that flat screen.
We saw a better textile in Cairo, quite Armani-esque moss green with a nice delicate pattern and some glitter (appropriately for Egypt ). But we believed the prices they told us, at first, and considered it too expensive, as we needed around 65 m also. And hubby hates all shopping . So we did not go back, and bought this one we found right here in Shebin, for 20LE per meter I think it is pure polyester. But then again I expect we will have to re-upholster soon. Cotton chenille would feel better for the body otherwise of course.
There are details that went wrong but we were generous on those , our home not being so perfect on other aspects either, anyway. So - do not rule out carpenters, in Egypt, if you know at least a bit what you want! but do "supervise" if want an exact outcome.
Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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We gave a carpenter pictures of Argos or IKEA (cannot recall) wardrobes and shelving and it arrived looking perfect and identical and cheap as anything.
I have been into Zara Home today, I think I am in love!!!! the things in there are lush Posts: 11097 | From: Cairo | Registered: May 2008
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There is Zara Home now? In Egypt? I think I maybe will wait anyway until Mango Home arrives. Or Promod Home? Posts: 1051 | From: Menoufeya | Registered: Feb 2005
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. For example, I quite like the sofas on Shatex webpages, does anyone know what their price level is? And I know there is a furniture salon in Maadi Carrefour that has a selection of styles that are quite fine, just that perhaps I would prefer to pay less for a simple table in Egypt.
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and had time to shop only in Mothercare and a cosmetics store, then our toddler was exhausted and strted complaining. A monster store! (though great for shopping of course)![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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