Furnishing Your Home: Where to Buy Furniture in Portugal

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Written by: | Last updated on February 29, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 4 minutes

Anyone living in Portugal, whether they’re renting or have bought a house, will have to buy furniture at some point or another. Maybe you need to furnish an entire apartment or house, or maybe you just need one or two small things. Either way, the question is: where should you go to buy furniture in Portugal?

The answer depends a lot on the type of furniture that you’re looking for, and where you are in the country.

For some people, IKEA is enough. Others want something sturdier or that feels like it’s a higher quality. Others again, are on the lookout for second-hand or vintage items that have a little more character to them than the readily-available flatpack furniture.

Need internet for your property? Check the available options here.

The main furniture shops

Every country has its nationwide furniture shops; the kind that are usually found on industrial estates outside big towns and cities. In Portugal, these shops are the following.

Note: Delivery times may be longer than you expect, so don’t assume that you can order it and it’ll arrive the next week. Getting items delivered is even harder if you live on Madeira or the Azores.

Another option is Amazon Spain, which stocks some items such as sofas, beds, and flatpack items such as wardrobes, tables, and desks. Delivery times are usually faster and it’s easy to see which items have received either good or bad reviews. Kuanto Kusta, Portugal’s main comparison site, also has a section for home and decor.

Other furniture shops

As well as the national and international companies mentioned above, there are also an increasing number of smaller and online furniture shops opening up in Portugal.

Other online options

  • Etsy – Can be good for interesting pieces made from recycled or repurposed materials.
  • eBay Spain – Surprisingly, most of the furniture is of the affordable and flatpack variety rather than second-hand.
  • KARE – With locations in and around Lisbon, KARE offers stylish and creative pieces of furniture. 
  • 8&80 – Popular Portuguese furniture brand with stores in Lisbon and Porto.  

Vintage or second-hand furniture

Between classifieds websites like OLX.PT, flea markets, and antique shops, there’s no shortage of vintage or second-hand furniture in Portugal.

If you’re willing to look hard, you can find some really interesting pieces of vintage furniture at auction houses, on classifieds websites, and on the many buy and sell Facebook groups.

There are also “vintage furniture shops” throughout Portugal, but particularly in cities like Lisbon and Porto, which curate and sell interesting second-hand pieces of furniture.

Second-hand furniture

Note: While second-hand furniture is cheaper than buying the item new, a lot of people that move to Portugal comment on how expensive second-hand furniture is.

“Vintage” furniture

Paços de Ferreira

Did you know that there’s an entire town in Portugal that’s centered around the furniture-making industry? Paços de Ferreira, about 30 minutes by car from Porto, is home to thousands of regional, national, and international furniture companies. Furniture is such a big part of its economy and makeup, that in 2014 the EU gave it the title: The European Capital of Furniture (capital do móvel).

The furniture in Paços de Ferreira is typically very good quality and also very affordable. Most of the manufacturers here will deliver to the rest of Portugal, so many people go up to Paços de Ferreira and spend an entire weekend going from shop to shop to buy everything that they need for their new home.

(Tip: Need to buy appliances such as a washing machine, fridge, or dishwasher? We have another article on buying appliances and electronics in Portugal).

Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.

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There are 15 comments on this article. Join the conversation and add your own thoughts, reviews, and stories of life in Portugal. However, please remember to be civil.

Comments

  1. This is a wonderful resource. Thank you for all the information.

    Is VAT still paid on second hand furniture when purchased privately? How about thru second hand shops?

    Reply
  2. From the list provided, are you able to rate the quality in order? Sometimes its hard to tell online.
    Any specific thoughts on Area Store and Kave in terms of quality?

    Reply
  3. Does anyone know of a leather furniture maker / artisan who could make up some leather cushions and supports , ie from scratch, not repairs.
    I have the wooden frames.
    Need a good quality leather worker ………….
    All suggestions welcome. Esp. Algarve area but happy to travel if necessary.

    Reply
  4. Hello.
    Glad to see Portugal IST still going.

    Meanwhile, do you know of any leather furniture makers who can make up one off pieces from pictures ? I have the wood en frames. Just need someone who knows what he or she is doing who can provide webbing and top quality leather .

    Thoughts ?

    Reply
  5. Very helpful article. Regarding IKEA furniture, if you are in Coimbra there are two delivery services that are less. One is IKEA delivery Coimbra and I’m not sure of the other as we haven’t used them yet, they are from the UK. Check on Expats in Portugal FB pages.

    Reply
  6. I feel this guide is very incomplete. When searching for furniture for my house in Spain, a few years ago, i discovered that the Portuguese have quite an array of very high quality furniture shops. Prices are in line with BO Concept or cheaper, but the furniture is sturdy and very nicely finished. Sadly, I don’t remember them all. I bought from AM Classic, which blends history with a modern touch, but I remember there were at least two more brands (whose names I cannot recall) that were on par. And then, for luxury furniture, you have Boca do Lobo and all its affiliate companies, that are true pieces of art (and cost like art). And I got all that while searching casually for furniture in Spain, so I guess that a lot more could be found if you dig deeper in Portugal.

    Reply
    • Hi! This is helpful as I am looking for better quality options without breaking the bank. Do you recall the other brands you found?

      Reply
  7. Thank you for this article, I was having a hard time finding good quality furniture that would ship to Madeira. I fell in love with Kare Portugal and they will ship here to the island. You have made me a happy woman! Your article also led me to your blog which I think is great and will enjoy learning more about Portugal.

    Reply
  8. I’ve heard of this town and now after reading this, we will for sure make a weekend trip to check it out. Thank you!

    Reply

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