Mama Explores Dubai’s Al Barsha Interiors District

Mamas, is it just me or have you noticed that there is somewhat of a home and garden district, if we can call it that, popping up along the Al Barsha side of Umm Suqeim Road? If you haven’t already clocked this delightful collection of stores cropping up along the service road that runs towards Al Khail Road, trust me, there is a lot of good stuff happening around there.

One of the first big attractions to arrive in this area of newly finished commercial buildings, established for some time now, is the art and crafts superstore, Creative Minds. This little hotspot is a dream come true for crafters, DIY-ers, teachers and mums. I stopped in there today to get some bits and pieces for the kids and had the misfortune of discovering that my car battery had died. After a quick call to the uber efficient team at Dial-A-Battery, I was assured that someone was on their way to assist me. Assuming that I was probably in for at least a 45 minute wait (which turned out to be a surprising 10 minute wait), I decided to take a walk and see what there was to see. I am so glad I did.

As it turns out, that particular street is in the process of being occupied by new and exciting retailers – most of which cater to some or other aspect of interiors and decor. I’m talking Satwa style fabric and upholstery stores, outdoor furniture suppliers, a gorgeous paint supply and installation shop, and the pièce de résistance, Marina Home Interiors’ enormous new generation store which, when complete, looks likely to be a destination all on its own.

So for those of you who are interested in checking it out, here’s a list of some of the shops I spotted and/or visited… in no particular order. See the list below!

Big Bear Youth Furniture
High end furniture for youngsters (mostly bedroom suites) for which I can’t find a website (but check their facebook page) – definitely worth popping in!

Carpet Centre
This shop allows you to choose up to three carpets for a free home trial, so you can see what they look like in your house before you buy. And if you prefer something custom made, they can assist you with that too.

Carpet Centre, Umm Suqeim Road East, Al Barsha 2, Dubai, (+971)(0) 4 323 6669, carpetcentre.com

Decoart
I didn’t get a chance to pop into this impressive looking establishment, but I have seen it may times whilst driving by. From a look at their website, I can tell you that it is an interior design and decoration company specialising in high-end furniture manufacturing. They stock Roberto Cavalli wallpaper and linens. Probably not to my specific taste, but I’ll be sure to take a look when I am next in the vicinity.

Decoart, Umm Suqeim Road, Al Barsha 2, (+971)(0) 4 392 7711, www.decoartdubai.com

High Tex Furniture and Silk Palace Furniture
These are two of the fabric and upholstery stores I mentioned before. Ideal for custom made curtains, blinds and all manner of upholstery.

Home Outfitters
A comprehensive selection of contemporary / modern furniture, fixtures and home accessories – with two levels to explore.

Home Outfitters, Umm Suqeim Road, Al Barsha 2, 33025 Dubai, (+971)(0) 4 399 8070, www.homeoutfitters.ae

Kansai Paint
A Japanese paint concept that will dispatch a consultant team to your home to give you a full presentation of their products, colour range and paint technique options, along with a surveyor who would measure and inspect the area of work in order to provide you with a full service price that will cover the entire paint project from surface preparation to the final coat. Sounds pretty awesome to me.

Kansai Paint, kansaipaint.ae

Meroe Liners
Think luxury. And 400 thread count Egyptian cotton hotel linen. As a self-confessed (white) linen freak, this bed boutique appealed to all my senses… and weaknesses. Their beautiful range of beds, custom headboards, linens and associated sleep essentials is a must see. The price tags are indicative of the high quality, but then I am a firm believer in spending money on decent quality beds and linens – after all, we spend a large chunk of our lives asleep in bed…. or so we used to… before the ‘accidents’.

Meroe Liners, Umm Suqeim, Al Barsha 2, (+971)(0) 4 399 2992, meroe.me

Parasol Furniture
A stunning collection of high quality outdoor furniture and backyard adventure equipment. If you enjoy entertaining outdoors, you’re unlikely to leave this place empty handed.

Parasol Furniture, Shop No. 3, 327 Umm Suqeim Road, Barsha 2, Dubai, (+971)(0) 50 770 9626, parasoldubai.com

Pepper’s Furnishing
An eclectic home store which offers pretty much everything from rugs, mirrors and sofas to wallpaper, custom furniture and full scale decorating consultancy services. Oh, and their website offers online shopping!

Pepper’s Furnishing, Umm Suqeim Road East, Al Barsha 2, 391841 Dubai, (+971)(0) 4 399 3361, peppershome.com

Marina Home
An old Dubai favourite. Their old warehouse store, located across the motorway, will soon be relocating to this side of the road.

Marina Home, Umm Suqeim Road, Al Barsha 2, 3276 Dubai, (+971)(0) 4 340 1112, marinahomeinteriors.com

Can you see why this area is worth a visit? And thanks to Dubai’s awesome shopping festival, most of the shops have some great bargains on offer until the end of the month.

If you live in Dubai and know of any gems that I may have missed, please feel free to share in the comments section below. I’ll be keeping a close eye on developments here.

Thanks to our interiors expert Kath for letting us repost this fab guide from her blog House of Hawkes.