Furniture in Cambodia, sourced from local suppliers as well as from foreign countries, is seeing increasing demand, as the Cambodian real estate sector picks up strength.

Lay Phally, the owner of a door, window and table shop on Monivong Blvd, in front of the Royal University of Law and Economics, told Post Property that she has been in the trade since the 1980s, and the furniture produced by her craftsmen, made of rosewoods such as Beng, Neang Nuon, and Thnong, are becoming increasingly popular.

She said: “In these last few years, my sales have increased by 10 to 20 per cent, and many of my customers are Cambodian. I hope that my sales will continue to increase because of the current growth of residential development,” adding “the reason that Cambodian people prefer rosewood furniture is that it is good quality, and durable, despite its high price.”

The price of her furniture varies. A bed made of Neang Nuon is priced from $1,000 to over $3,000, and a set of sofas is priced similarly , depending on its artistic work.

Lip Pheng, the owner of Samay Thmey Rattan and the president of the board of directors of the Cambodia Rattan Association, said that sales of both rattan and solid wood furniture is similarly good, but with rattan products, the majority of customers are foreigners. The reason, he says, is that foreigners like buying rattan products because it is reasonably easy to transport, and easy to change.

He added, “In these last few years, the sale of rattan furniture increased 50 to 60 per cent, and I believe that it will increase 20 to 30 percent more in the future. Furthermore, in the near future, we will export the by-products of rattan to Vietnam,” adding that Cambodian people should use rattan products because it is produced with local materials.

Rattan furniture is cheaper, he said, with a sofa priced between $100 to $300.

Srey Pov, the manager of a furniture shop at Chamkarmon traffic lights, said that her shop sells all kinds of furniture, mostly made from Sralao, Chan Kiri and Thnong. Most of her clients are foreigners, because they like furniture is produced in Cambodia by Cambodians. However she said that recently her shop has been “a bit quiet, unlike 2011, when there were more customers.”