How do you fit seating into a recess in a thick wall or onto a narrow ledge?
A recess seat can be made to its exact width and depth. At 250 cm (98 in) wide it is longer than a single seat piece is made, so it comes as two equal pieces that are also easier to carry in. The import steps for a Portuguese address are on our delivery page. A seat only 50 cm (19.5 in) deep leaves about 40 cm (16 in) to sit on once a 10 cm (4 in) backrest is added, so a slim backrest, or none, suits it best.
- Measure the recess at the back and again at the front, because old walls are rarely square.
- Note every door frame, handle or radiator at the ends, since each one shortens the seat.
- Label each space separately on the sketch, and add a close-up of any odd corner.
From the atelier
Questions buyers ask
- Do you have a branch or a warehouse in Portugal, or anywhere in the EU?
- No. There is no showroom or store you can visit in Portugal: every order is made in the Istanbul workshop. Because the goods come from outside the EU, the import steps are in the customs card below.
- We need the order before our spring opening, invoiced to our company. How far ahead should we order?
- Count back from opening day. Production time depends on your layout and the season — ask us for the current schedule. Ready-made sets are packed soon after payment — ask us for the current dispatch time. Delivery across Europe is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current estimate for your country. Ordering in winter leaves room for a missing piece to follow before the first guests arrive.
What can a venue reorder each season instead of whole sets?
Seat cushions, backrests and covers are separate pieces, so a venue such as a beach club can renew only what the season has worn. Backrests go two to a seat, in the pattern and color of the seats they join. Covers-only sets are there for foam that is still good.
Matching pillows are part of a custom majlis quote, so the pillows for a day bed can come in the same fabric as the seats; ask the design team for sizes. Keep a numbered list of design, color and quantity, and count the boxes against it when they arrive. Matching cushions across ten tables is a planning job, not luck.
Our restaurant seating page covers majlis and booth layouts for restaurants, and spares for seating a venue already owns are on our floor cushion page.
Lisbon gets about 2,875 hours of sun a year, with humidity between 75% and 82% in every month, so seats near the sea are planned for wear.
What should the invoice show, and what do you do with the courier's emails?
The commercial invoice shows what you actually paid. Customs can ask for proof of payment and may hold a parcel whose figures do not match, so a lower figure on the invoice brings delays rather than savings.
Once the order is placed, the courier needs a mobile number and an email for the parcel, and the tracking page lists each box separately. Count the boxes against the packing list when they arrive, and photograph what is there before you report anything missing.
Delivery across Europe is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current estimate for your country.
Import VAT applies to furniture shipped into the EU — ask us how it's handled for your order before you pay.
| Time of year in Portugal | Istanbul runs ahead by | 9 a.m. with you is |
|---|---|---|
| Winter, mainland | 3 hours | 12 noon, Istanbul time |
| Summer, mainland | 2 hours | 11 a.m., Istanbul time |
How large is the Arab-origin community in Portugal?
Citizens of Arab League states are a small group in Portugal, far smaller than the Moroccan community in neighboring Spain, which our Spain page covers. The counts below are best read next to the housing split, which is half houses and half flats.
| Place | What the figures show | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Portugal, citizens | On 1 January 2024: Morocco 4,422, Algeria 2,301, Syria 1,227, Tunisia 1,099 and Egypt 713 | Eurostat |
| Portugal, born abroad | About 16.0% of residents were born abroad, 1,703,848 of 10,639,726 | Eurostat |
| Portugal, housing | About 50.3% of people live in a house and 49.6% in a flat | Eurostat EU-SILC |
| Lisbon | Average highs of about 15°C (59°F) in January and 29°C (84°F) in August | IPMA normals, 1991-2020 |
Which fabrics last under Lisbon's sun, salt and humidity?
Lisbon's 1991 to 2020 normals count about 2,875 hours of sun a year and humidity between 75% and 82% in every month. Nine months of the year sit between 18°C (64°F) and 32°C (90°F).
Indoor upholstery is not the right cloth for a terrace in salt air. A venue should ask for the outdoor range, a water-repellent fabric mostly in plain colors, and lean toward light or mid tones, which show sun fading less than deep reds and blues. No upholstery shrugs off a full season of sun and salt: I would choose one tone for the whole terrace and rotate cushions between sunny and shaded spots.
Local questions
Can we order a second set of covers in the same size and color, so one set can be washed while the other is in use?
Send the original sizes, the color number and a photo of the set in place, and the spare covers are cut to the same pattern. Covers unzip and can be machine-washed on a gentle 30°C (86°F) cycle, so swapping sets takes minutes.
The fabric PDF we saved stopped opening. Can we see the kilim-style fabrics properly, each one on its own?
Ask the team for a fresh link to the fabric range and for single daylight photos of the two or three fabrics you are considering, each with a ruler for scale. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.
The courier keeps sending automated customs emails, and the phone line only reaches a robot. What should we do?
Forward the whole email, with the tracking number and any reference code, to the team before you reply. These requests usually ask for a document, such as the invoice or proof of payment, and the team can tell you which one. Then answer the courier in the same email thread, so your reply is matched to your parcel.
