The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Barely noticeable but for its bright red sign and rose emblem, Warde (or Warde Lebanon as it’s called here in Egypt) is a French-Lebanese drapery and textile manufacturer with locations throughout the Middle East and in Switzerland. Their  small second-floor shop in Mohandiseen has three comfortable rooms with expertly upholstered seating and walls, all lined floor-to-ceiling with fabrics of all colors and designs.

Silks and linens are in generous supply, and while genuine velvet seems to be completely absent, velour picks up the slack in addition to representing the majority of the materials on display. A small room near the back contains the ‘modern’ designs, with large flower prints and pastel colors. You can find playful designs here too, many of which would be appropriate for a child’s room or just a springtime pick-me-up.

The main room houses the thicker and more traditional materials, all of which are more appropriate for upholstery, while curtain fabrics take up an intermediate space. Here you will find the royal-looking velour creations and a large selection of colorful silks and linens (250LE to 700LE). If you start to feel a bit lost, swatch booklets are in no short supply; just give the salesman the faintest idea of what you’re looking for and he will immediately produce the perfect fabric, and ten others that complement it.

The salesman is incredibly helpful and not at all pushy (we recommend working with Amr Anwar). Given just the slightest idea of what you’re looking for, he has a wonderful eye for designsthat  you never would have thought of. It is a near guarantee that you’ll find what you need at Warde, but even if you don’t, take a look through the shop’s catalogue and they’ll have your heart’s desire on order the very same day.