8568 Buying Furniture?

Yes, I agree with T & A, we bought a small number of items from them, a small sofa, three bed bases, an iron bed, some mattresses and a coffee table. They delivered on time, something that was for us a big issue as we were only staying two weeks, so we only bought things which were ready for delivery, and they assembled everything. We even put them to the test with one of the bed bases, which was 1.60 m wide and we found that it would be impossible to get it through the staircase as there were some beams protruding and blocking the access... They came up with the solution, we sent the wrong base back and when we will return in May they shall exchange for two 0.80 m wide bases which will do the trick.
They are also on line at [url=http://www.mondoconv.it]Mondo Convenienza | Arredamento e Mobili per la tua casa[/url] and they also have very nice kitchens at reasonable prices. It is a pity that our kitchen is so irregular in shape and with one window which comes below normal benchtop height and we had to order it from a local cabinetmaker.... at considerable cost.

Do they have items that are "on the shelf/warehouse" and you are able to take away with you or are most of the bigger items ordered in and you have to wait a few weeks, similar to MFI in the UK?

The new one in Abruzzo has a separate warehouse a few Ks away from the show room where you can pick up your purchases from, I don't know if there is any kind of waiting time or if you can go straight there, the warehouse is massive which points to them having the stock and you save the 8% delivery.
We bought a kitchen from them but had it delivered, I must say that for the price it is a remarkably good kitchen!

[quote=Giles and Sarah;80390]The new one in Abruzzo [/quote]

The one in Pescara?

Anybody know of something similar in Chieti province? South end would be best.

[quote=Bolton35;80388]Do they have items that are "on the shelf/warehouse" and you are able to take away with you or are most of the bigger items ordered in and you have to wait a few weeks, similar to MFI in the UK?[/quote]

You can take with you small items which are in the store at the time. They can tell you whether they are available immediately or not. Some items have signs which say "Pronta consegna", which means that they are readily available from their warehouse. We only bought products in that category as we were in a hurry and we purchased them on Sunday and they delivered them on Thursday morning, which was great. You have to insist a bit on the "prompt delivery".They deliver and assemble the furniture for a fixed rate of 8% over the price of the item, which is very reasonable.

[quote=NickZ;80394]The one in Pescara?

Anybody know of something similar in Chieti province? South end would be best.[/quote]

According to the brochure I have, they deliver and assemble throughout Abruzzo from their Pescara shop.

Problem is it is a 3-4 hour round trip. The catalog has a couple things that might fit but until I see them :veryconfused:

I guess I could combine the trip with some visiting but the drive is a bit much for just window shopping.

We have had some lounge furniture from them are are very pleased. We looked at the catalogue on line, popped into the store near Pisa airport to check on the quality, ordered it on line when we got back to the UK, arranged delivery via e-mail with a very helpful lady called Veronica and two young hunks arrived with it all at 9am on the morning they said they would. They brought it all into the house, set it up and took away all the packaging. We could have paid on line with Visa but opted for cash on delivery. We are very pleased with it and it was very reasonably priced, at least as cheap if not cheaper that stuff in the UK sales at the moment.

Could somebody comment on the quality?

I've found a local to me supplier with similar prices but much higher shipping. OTOH the stuff is real wood while the best I can figure from the Mondo catalog is it's some sort of veenered fake wood.

I went to them in Citta San Angelo/Pescara last September. The little sofa I had seen in the catalogue prior was disappointing quality wise. However their steel bed frames and kitchens looked fine.

For me though the shop lacked excitement/shopping wow factor that it's nearest competitor (IKEA) often has. What I also found ridiculous was that there wasn't a part of the store where you could buy smaller items and knick knacks. You had to make a note of the item details if it was on display then ask. Would you then if there was a big queue??? You may too have not seen any large item you like but like to go away having bought something to compensate for the journey there!!!

[quote=NickZ;81756]Could somebody comment on the quality?

I've found a local to me supplier with similar prices but much higher shipping. OTOH the stuff is real wood while the best I can figure from the Mondo catalog is it's some sort of veenered fake wood.[/quote]

The coffee table we bought from them is solid wood as is most of their furniture. We also bought a small leather sofa and we are pleased with it as it had the right proportions for the place where we wanted to place it and the quality is very good as well. We also bought some bed bases and mattresses, but I cannot comment on them as we have not used them. They seem to be fine.

[quote=NickZ;81756]Could somebody comment on the quality?

I've found a local to me supplier with similar prices but much higher shipping. OTOH the stuff is real wood while the best I can figure from the Mondo catalog is it's some sort of veenered fake wood.[/quote]

when we looked around (about 4 years ago) I found the mondo stuff to be adequate & functional but not great quality or design - we eventually bought beds & kitchen from specialist companies & rest of furniture we imported from the far east. The kitchen was no comparison (we paid for what we got) but in beds & mattresses I reckon we got much better quality by haggling with a specialist company than we would have got from Mondo. Their furniture I just didn't like, but thats a question of personal taste, nothing to do with quality.

I have always believed in the mix-and-match look, an ecclectic mixture of convenient furniture with a few special pieces here or there, which are the ones that give the house its personality. Otherwise, you immediately see where you bought your furniture... I have always done that and this last experience is not different. We brought with us - and also found locally in Lucca - some antique and vintage pieces, we have plenty of paintings and other objects to decorate the house and I think that, after a few trips, we will have it the way we want and also the way that reflects our personality and tastes. I hope to be able to send you some photos in the near future.
As for the kitchen, we had to have it made to measure as it was impossible to get a ready made one because of the irregular walls. We also have a very low window and I also wanted the depth to be no more than 50 cm (normally all modules are 60 cn) simply because I wanted to have those extra 10 cm to circulate better as the kitchen is very small in size. I also wanted a Carrara marble top and the sink inserted in it with special drainage so that had to be ordered... My husband did not like the cost... but I think that it will be great when it gets finished, around May. Some more photos to be posted...

Any photos you can post in the meantime Dixi???

[quote=NickZ;81756]Could somebody comment on the quality?

I've found a local to me supplier with similar prices but much higher shipping. OTOH the stuff is real wood while the best I can figure from the Mondo catalog is it's some sort of veenered fake wood.[/quote]

Well, we have only bought beds from Mondo Convenienza, but very pleased with quality and service. That said, if you can buy real wood locally, it might be worth looking at alternative methods of delivery/collection, depending on how far away - maybe hiring a van would be an option?

Good luck - Tony and Helen

Thanks everybody.

Shipping is mostly an issue if I buy one item. The 8% is great if you're buying a small low cost item. But if I buy a few things then the other shop will basically give me a flat rate on shipping. So it won't be much worse then the 8%. OTOH it would be nice to just buy the odd piece when I need it.

Ah. Just received this in an e-mail from a friend in Italy who has ordered a sofa from them - "And our sofa never arrived from Mondo Convenienza"!!!

Several are discussing quality at Mondo Convenienza. We too ordered the iron beds, mattrasses, and the leather sofas/chair set. Excellent and on-time delivery and the quality for the price was superb. Ask for Veronica Pacifici who writes excellent English.

Good luck!
Thomas and Kirsten

We bought 2 leather sofa's from this company great service and quality.

[url=http://www.dondisalotti.it]Dondi Salotti - Home[/url]

[quote=I Vichingi;83954]Excellent and on-time delivery and the quality for the price was superb. Ask for Veronica Pacifici who writes excellent English.

Thomas and Kirsten[/quote]

Or you can use e-mail with Veronica as I did. She is very effecient and as said she has very good english Her e-mail is [email]veronicapacifici@mondoconv.it[/email]

Dear All,

Accept my apologies for being somewhat sensitive and defensive of Calabria but if you wipe the sleep from your eyes, everything is available!

I fly to Lamezia on Monday for 5 nights, solely with the reason of purchasing some bedroom furniture and budgeting for two kitchens for my two purpose built brand New Villas in Calabria - 90% finished.

Why not try the link below.

[url=http://www.emmezeta.org/stores.php]EMMEZETA : arredamento, elettrodomestici, brico e tempo libero, audio video, informatica, moda[/url]

This is a National Company with around 11 huge stores within the Italian Mainland and Isles and one is based in Calabria!!!
Not bad for the backward Deep South ehh?

i.e. Montalto Uffugo - Just off the A3/E45 Motorway exit - unless you are Stevie Wonder, you can't miss it! If you're travelling from Reggio to Salerno (North) it is on your Left - vice versa (South) it is on your right.

I have personally visited this store on numerous occasions over the last 2/3 years to purchase a selection of items including perfume, table lamps, Screws and Nails and wheelbarrow!

It is huge. They sell all type's of furniture from Classical (Reproduction) to Contemporary (Modern). They sell furniture for every room in the house, and i mean every room, with the prices seeming very reasonable.

I can not comment on delivery charges, stock availability etc for furniture but no doubt will do so over the next few weeks.

They also sell a huge variety of other goods, including:

Domestic Electrical Goods - From Fridge Freezers to Hoovers
Audio Visual Electrical Goods - TV's to Mp3 Players
Household Goods - Carpets, Curtains, Cutlery, Glassware, Plates etc etc etc
Clothing - Male, Female, Childrens

...including numerous other items - too many to mention.

My best description would be a hybrid of a Department Store that meets Ikea that meets Wilkinsons.

The air-conditioned store is open all day (no siesta) from 9.00 to 20.30 most days... even on a Sunday (please check specific times on website). It has free parking and is on a huge site equiavalent to a UK "Out of Town" retail park.

On the same retail park you will find other Outlets including a Supermarket, fast food restaurants, Garden Centre and Occasional outside flea Market.

I have no affilitiation with the company and this is by no means a sales pitch but i would be interested in anyone's feedback not only on this company but any others that surely DO exist in the region.

No offence intented or implied.

Mickey "O"

Dear All,

My previous reply was aimed specifically at the "Furniture in Calabria Link" although the store availability/loactions may be relevant to other posters/viewers?

This Months Sales Catalogue:

[url]http://www.emmezeta.org/catalogues/sf05mz/05mz.pdf[/url]

... which does not show half of what they sell.

Regards,

Mickey 'O'

Another interesting address for furniture is Banak Importa. It is a franchise operating now in many Italian cities. This is a Spanish company which designs and sells "ethnic" style furniture. It is very popular in Spain and Portugal and I have seen their advertisement in "Casa Viva", the Italian magazine. They have stores in Alessandria, Ascoli Piceno, Avellino, Bari, Benevento, Bergamo, Brindisi, Cagliari, Caltanissetta, Caserta, Catania, Como, Cosenza, Cuneo, Foggia, Frosinone, Lecce, Massa Carrara, Messina, Milano, Napoli, Palermo, Parma, Piacenza, Pesaro, Ragusa, Reggio Calabria, Reggio Emilia, Rimini, Roma, Salerno, Sardegna Sud, Taranto, Torino, Trapani, Trento, Udine, Viso Valentia, Vicenza and Viterbo.
For more information have a look at:

[url=http://www.banak.com]BANAK, ME GUSTA.[/url]

A lot of us is not wery good at reading Italian. Bu, if you go to the Ikea web site in your language, f.inst. the UK site and find something you want to buy in Italy. lets say a bed lik this;

[url=http://www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S19825624]IKEA | Beds | Double bed frames | NORESUND | Bed frame[/url]

You change the URL gbp/en to it/it, and you find the same product in Italian ewth the price in €

[url=http://www.ikea.com/it/it/catalog/products/S19825624]IKEA | Letti | Strutture letti a due piazze | NORESUND | Struttura letto[/url]

and BINGO

Another address which may be helpful:

[url=http://www.lamaisoncoloniale.com]Canapé, sofa, fauteuil, buffet, meuble exotique, objet exotique, La Maison Coloniale : Vivre sans frontières[/url]

Interesting furniture imported from India and Indonesia and several shops throughout Italy. A bit too "oriental" for Italy if you furnish the house entirely with their stock; however, the odd piece here and there would look nice and more ecclectic.