Home to a range of specialty stores, lively markets and retail outlets Bali is the ultimate shopping mecca! With so much on offer from clothing and art, to furniture and homewares, it is no surprise that many visitors combine their holiday to Bali with a shopping expedition. Not only is the shopping in Bali excellent, but it also offers a great range of bargains with prices dramatically less than anywhere else in the world. Due to its incredible craft, production, and affordable prices, Bali has become a popular hub for visitors looking to buy beautiful furniture.
Settled by the Dutch in the 16th Century, Bali's furniture production and craft has a long and distinct history. The Indonesian people learnt the art of furniture production from the Dutch who were unable to bring their furniture from Holland with them, so they decided to train the locals in making furniture. This influence can still be seen in much of the furniture that is made in Bali. There are two main methods used in joins, the mortise and tenon and the dovetail. Mortise and tenon joins use wooden pegs to 'lock' the join and is most often seen joining legs to chair frames. Hand cut dovetails are used to join two slabs of wood together, such as when making chest and cabinets.
Bali furniture is most often made out of teak and other high quality hardwoods making it unique to the island. It is important when looking for your perfect piece of furniture that you keep the moisture content in mind. The change in climate when shipping furniture from Bali to other parts of the world can sometimes lead to cracking in the wood. To avoid this, furniture should have a moisture content of 5 or less. Most reputable furniture dealers in Bali will have a moisture meter that will measure the moisture content of the wood, making sure it is cured to minimise the chances of cracking.
The easiest and most convenient way to bring Bali furniture home with you is to use a reputable shipping and exporting company. These companies take care of everything including packing and collecting the furniture, obtaining all the correct export certificates and documentation, fumigating the furniture all the way to loading it onto the ship for you. Although these companies charge a fee for their services, the total cost of purchasing Bali furniture and getting it home is still less than half the price of buying it anywhere else in the world.
