Bali Furniture
 

I will be spending a few weeks in Bali in January. While there I plan to have several furniture pieces made, including couches; chairs; end tables; bedside tables; etc.<BR><BR>Any suggestions as to companies used to make furniture from designs/plans?<BR><BR>Any suggestions as to the type of wood (I understand Teak is one of the predominant woods used.)<BR><BR>Anyone experience problems with their order? <BR><BR>Shipping? <BR><BR>I am planning to containerize the finished product and ship back to US via ship. Any suggestions here? <BR><BR>Can anyone recommend a reliable freight forwarder or shipper? <BR> <BR>Thanks for your help!<BR> <BR><BR>am traveling to Bali

I see no one has responded to your question. I was hoping someone with a positive experience would give a response. I had a bad experience with a local shipper in Bali some years ago, and would not recommend shipping goods out of Bali. In addition to the trust issue with shippers, it is very expensive to ship furniture any distance internationally; plan on paying about the same cost to ship a piece of furniture as it does to buy it. Remember also if you are a US citizen that you will have to pay customs duty on the furniture when it arrives, which is a percentage based on the value of each piece. Check the US web site for US customs.<BR><BR>If you have never had furniture made before, you may find it a real challenge to do this in a foreign country where you don't have a lot of time, and have to make decisions regarding size, materials, etc that you may not be familiar with. Finally, you probably would not see the finished product before you leave, and so would have no control over the finish and quality, it will simply arrive at your home, good or bad. <BR><BR>All in all, you are better off going to an Asian furniture place in the US (there are even warehouses now), as they buy and ship in bulk and can get much better prices than you could get on your own.<BR>

We purchased several pieces from the C.V. Menara store in Denpassar. The furniture was shipped to the U.S. without a problem and by the date we expected. I don't know if they do custom made furniture, but we found them to be honest and reputable (they were on a recommended list at the Four Seasons.)<BR><BR>In terms of cost, we found that even with the cost of shipping and the customs, we got a great deal, compared to the cost of purchasing a similar item at home. <BR><BR>One note, my understanding is that most of furniture sold in Bali is actually manufacured in Java.<BR><BR>

Hi. I was in Bali last month (Nov 02). I posted the same ? @ www.balitravelforum.com and 2 separate people recommended Mari's. I went there and was impressed w/ the furniture and furnished a new flat through her. I have yet to receive the furniture (its in transit) but have had good communication from the shipping company. Mari is honest and reliable, according to my sources. Here is her shop info: Mari's. Melasti Street (besides Orchid Garden Rest.) Phone: 62-361-759980. Her name: Mariwati Suryadi. Yes most furniture in Bali comes from Java (labor is cheaper in Java) but sent to Bali for finishing. If you need any other info. on Bali please let me know. I loved my hotel in Nusa Dua (swiss-belhotel).

There's a place here in Honolulu called Baik Designs and they've been in the Balinese furniture business for quite some years. The owners live in Honolulu and Bali and are very honest and reputable. You might give their website a visit: www.baikdesigns.com/ Good luck!

I live in Jakarta and have had all of my furniture made locally in Java. The quality and prices are outstanding. However. . . most the wood comes from virgin rainforests. This is not a good thing. This is true in Bali as well as Java and all of Indonesia.<BR>Also if you ship your treasures to a cold climate your furniture will, I promise you, crack once it is subjected to low humidity and artificial heating. If the wood is aged and kiln dried this may not happen. You will have no idea about this until it is too late. The person who will sell the furniture will tell you what you want to hear. Its only natural in this desparate economic climate. Still, it is such nice furniture you may not be able to resist. I couldn't.

as i read the stories above the two thoughts i had were cracks from lack of humidity (any place in the world has less humidity than se asia) and the unbelievable cost of shipping...if you live in the usa, the shipping will be only to a port of entry and then you must pay a receiver and another shipper to get it to you...its huge money and even though the furniture would be different, it cracks appear you will have wasted all your money and have unattractive items in your home....<BR>sorry to be so negetive

just noticed the dates...sorry