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A house in Australia — furniture from China entirely online. No meetings, no visits

A video testimonial from Anastasia. She was building an unconventional house on another continent, convinced that China meant flimsy cheap goods. Local Australian designers told her in confidence where the ‘European’ luxury is actually bought. Two years of correspondence on WhatsApp, remote inspection of the furniture at the factories, lighting by air, furniture by sea — and reality exceeded expectations.

Australia, a private house 100% online 2 years works Minimalism, premium Lighting by air + furniture by sea

Get an estimate for my house Watch Anastasia’s testimonial

Anastasia's house in Australia, a minimalist interior with furniture from China

‘I was certain that China means flimsy cheap goods and money down the drain. That was the stereotype I began building my unusual house in Australia with. But when local designers quietly told me where all that ‘European’ luxury is really bought from, I decided to take the risk.’

‘For two years we worked over WhatsApp. I never once met my manager in person. I chose every table and every chair over video call: ‘turn the camera, show me the seam, sit on the sofa’. When the first containers arrived — the reality exceeded expectations.»

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Anastasia Owner of a house in Australia · 2 years online with MBL · 2024

Real review

100%

online — not a single meeting in person

2 year

working via WhatsApp from selection to unpacking

14 000 km

from Guangzhou to the east coast of Australia

×2

of the logistics: lighting by air, furniture by sea

The client’s main fear: ‘rubbish will turn up’

Anastasia made no secret of the stereotype she started with. It is a typical market fear — especially among clients ordering to another continent

Anastasia’s fear before ordering

‘China = flimsy cheap stuff’

‘I thought everything in China was flimsy and short-lived, cheap mass-market stuff. That it would be money down the drain. And in Australia the stereotype is even stronger — we are told that quality means Italy or Germany and nothing else.’

Anastasia is far from the first to feel this fear. Most clients have doubts at the start: ‘What if a wreck turns up? What if the assembly is crooked? What if the leather is fake?’

An additional fear with Australia: the distance. A container by sea takes 5–6 weeks. If something is wrong, returning and replacing it is almost impossible, or it costs as much as the item itself.

What Anastasia found

Local designers hide the truth

‘Australian designers told me in confidence that all the “European” luxury in their showrooms is in fact the same China. They buy in the same places. Just a ×3-4 mark-up for the brand.’

This is an industry insight. Everyone knows it and no one says it. The top showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne bring furniture from the same factories in Foshan and Shenzhen that we do. They simply change the labels.

Anastasia decided to go direct. She saved 2–3 times over, received the same quality — and now recommends MBL to her friends in Australia.

How we worked with Anastasia — 14,000 km away

For a person never to meet the team in person, a distinct process is needed. Here is what it amounts to

1

Video inspection at the factory

The manager arrives at the factory with a phone. Over WhatsApp Anastasia gives directions: turn the camera, show me the seam, sit on the sofa, press the seat cushion. A full inspection without travelling to China.

2

Two years of approvals

Not a single transaction but a long-running project. As the house went up, Anastasia sent photographs of the rooms, dimensions and design ideas. We selected and adapted items for each zone.

3

Separate logistics

Lighting (fragile chandeliers and wall lights) went by air, so that it would not break during 5–6 weeks at sea. Furniture (sofas, tables, armchairs) went by sea in reinforced packaging. Turnkey delivery to Australia.

4

Unpacking, with emotion

‘The emotions of opening the boxes are a story of their own. I was expecting the worst and received luxury. The cushions, the texture of the fabric, the leather finish — all on a par with the European showrooms in Sydney.’

⚠

What was not easy

‘Logistics over such a distance is always stressful. A sea container takes almost a month and a half, and all that time you are simply waiting.’

We are not dressing this case up. Delivery to Australia is always a test. We sent the fragile Murano glass chandeliers separately by air — more expensive, but without the risk. The container with the furniture went by sea, and there were moments of waiting, anxiety and impatience.

But we did everything we could on our side: reinforced packaging, a photograph of every crate before dispatch, insurance for 100% of the value of the cargo. Anastasia knew every step and saw photographs of the unpacking at the warehouse in Australia before the container was opened.

The main outcome

I thought a load of junk would arrive. I received luxury. If somebody had told me six months ago that I would furnish a house with furniture from China without going there once, I would have laughed. And now I am telling my friends in Sydney about it.

— Anastasia, owner of a house in Australia

Full video — Anastasia’s testimonial

7 minutes on the MBL channel. A first-hand account of how it went

What you will hear in the video

Anastasia owns an unconventional house in Australia. She describes how local designers dispelled her fear that China means cheap goods, sharing an insider view of where ‘European’ luxury is really brought from.

And separately — the technique of choosing furniture over video: turn the camera, show me the seam, sit on the sofa. It is a rare format that we refined with clients in the USA, Europe and Australia — and now it works without fail.

And an open account of the logistics to another continent. Lighting by air, furniture by sea, waiting for the container. Worth listening to in full — a unique case for people building far from Russia.

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Anastasia’s house on camera

The interior of a minimalist house in Australia after furnishing by MBL

Anastasia, the homeowner

Anastasia, Australia

The house from outside

The house from outside

Living room

Living room

Sofa premium

Sofa premium

Lights delivered by air

Lighting: delivered by air

Kitchen

Kitchen

Dining area

Dining area

Bedroom

Bedroom

Unloading the container

Unloading the container

Finish details

Finish details

Chairs and textiles

Chairs and textiles

Wide shot

Wide shot

Furniture from this project

Put together a similar interior

There are no exact ones in the shot, but here are close models from our catalogue — in the same style. Add them to your estimate list, we'll price the replicas for free.

Sofa Camerich Lazytime

Sofa Camerich Lazytime

like the soft velour sofa

Armchair Ceccotti Icolounge

Armchair Ceccotti Icolounge

like the armchair on a wooden frame

Table lamp Maison Dada Dali Divina

Table lamp Maison Dada Dali Divina

like the ball lamp in the study

Armchair Flexform Tessa Outdoor

Armchair Flexform Tessa Outdoor

like the outdoor chairs on the terrace

Project brands:

Flexform Minotti B&B Italia Baxter Poliform Cassina

We will prepare the same estimate for your home

Предварительный расчёт по 10–15 ключевым позициям. Срок зависит от объёма проекта и ответов фабрик. Без обязательств. Хоть на other континент.

Leave a request

Ответим в течение рабочего дня. Срок предварительного расчёта зависит от объёма проекта и ответов фабрик.

Faster — messengers

Straight into the chat with a manager.

Telegram WhatsApp 📞 +7 (495) 109-87-88

The manager has been running MBL projects since 2008

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Other clients whose interiors we furnished without meeting in person

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