Arabic Sofas in Alabama: Majlis, Nook Cushions & Yemeni Sets

Straight runs or one L: how do you plan a room you may leave?

Separate straight runs suit a household that may move: each carries its own backrests and armrests, so it can stand alone today and be redrawn with the designer as an L or a U in the next house, where the corner rule takes one seat depth off one run. Keep the fabric number and seat height from your order, because later pieces are matched to those two details.

Shape	Seats	Floor or wall length	Adults
Straight run	One seat of up to 75 in (190 cm)	Along a single wall	2 to 3
L-shape	Two seats and a corner backrest	75 × 102 in (190 × 260 cm) of floor	5 to 6, up to 7
U-shape	Three seats and two corner backrests	224 in (570 cm) of seating along three walls	8 to 9

Sizes for every shape are on our majlis layouts page, and the guide to what shapes a majlis quote explains how the total length is weighed.

From the atelier

Questions buyers ask

Is a majlis quoted by the meter if I want separate straight runs instead of one L?: A custom majlis is quoted on its total running length, adjusted for the model, the seat height, whether it is all-foam or framed and the backrest style, so separate runs are worked out like an L: each gets its own cushions, backrests and armrests. Send the lengths you want, say four runs of 72 in (183 cm) and one of 48 in (122 cm), and the designer lists every piece.
Is there a way to see the fabric and feel the foam before I place an order?: Fabric and foam come to you first: swatches and a piece of seat foam let you judge the shade in your own light and press the foam by hand. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order. We don't have a showroom; ask us for a sample box or a video call.

A door that opens only part of the year: should the seating stop short of it?

Decide whether the seasonal door must keep opening: if it does, the seating stops before its swing, and if it can stay shut, the run passes in front of it.
Do not agonize over the last centimeter: foam absorbs a measuring error of up to about 2 in (5 cm), so leave a little room at each wall end.
Add one wide photo of the room and one of each corner; feet and inches are fine.

A U with walls of 174 in (442 cm), 108 in (274 cm) and 174 in (442 cm) shows how the numbers turn into seats: each side wall splits into three equal seats of about 58 in (147 cm), and the back wall, shortened by 27.5 in (70 cm) at both corners, takes one seat of 53 in (134 cm).

How low can a wooden majlis go, and how low is an all-foam seat?

Wooden-base models sit at about 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model, and none is made lower. An all-foam seat is usually 12 in (30 cm) or about 16 in (40 cm), and floor-style seats of 4 in (10 cm) or 8 in (20 cm) are available on request.

Can you order a seat cushion for a built-in nook?

Seat cushions can be made to measure for balconies, window seats, dining benches and reading nooks, so a seat-only cushion for a built-in office nook is routine. Send the inside width and depth, say whether an end is angled or rounded, and choose the thickness; 4 in (10 cm) is often enough on a wooden bench seat. Backrests and armrests are optional.

How do a sample box and photos before shipping let you judge a set from home?

A sample box and photos of finished rooms let you judge before you order. Custom orders are photographed and filmed for your approval before they ship. Other buyers' contact details are never passed on, so these are the checks you can make yourself, and the first question for any model is which seat heights it is actually made in.

Black and gold, velvet or linen: how does a family choose the look together?

Plain colors are chosen by number from the fabric color card, two-tone pairings are possible and gold accents are optional on most models, so a household can settle black and gold together. The patterned ranges have no true black, so a very dark navy or charcoal stands in for it. Velvet and linen are separate collections.

Cream, black and green kilim diamond cushions on an L of floor seating with a pale base and a square ottoman — Cream, black and green diamonds across the seat and backrests, with a plain pale base.

Yemeni-style and Afghan toshak sets are planned from the same wall lengths, the Sedir Bench line is built on a solid pine frame and covered in a thick kilim-style weave, and rugs can be ordered on their own. Our floor sofa sets show the standard ranges.

Several boxes, one tracking number each: what does an Alabama delivery look like?

Expect several boxes, typically two or three for an L and more for a big U; they can land on different days, and each has its own tracking number, emailed once the order ships. Open the vacuum bags within a week of delivery and give the cushions about a day to regain their shape.

Delivery to the US and Canada is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current transit estimate.

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Import duties for US deliveries are set by US Customs — ask us how they apply to your order before you pay.

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Alabama keeps Central time	Istanbul is ahead by	Your 9 a.m. is, in Istanbul
Summer	8 hours	5 p.m.
Winter	9 hours	6 p.m.

Lebanese, Palestinian and other Arab families: how big are Alabama's communities?

Place	What the figures show	Source
Alabama	About 14,100 residents report Arab ancestry, 0.28% of the state	ACS 5-year
Alabama	About 18,900 counted as Middle Eastern or North African, 0.38% of the state	2020 Census
Alabama	Lebanese about 5,500, other Arab (which includes Yemeni) about 2,800, Palestinian about 1,500	ACS 5-year
Alabama homes	70.2% owner-occupied, 69.1% single-family detached, 4.4% in buildings of 20 or more units, median year built 1986	ACS 5-year
New homes, the South	About 4% have a full or partial basement; about 88% sit on a slab	Survey of Construction
Birmingham	Average high about 54°F (12°C) in January and 91°F (33°C) in July	Station normals

Southeastern neighbors have their own notes, including Arabic jalsah in Tennessee and Arabic sofas in South Carolina.

Seven mild months: when does a porch majlis work in Alabama?

Station normals for Birmingham put average highs between 64°F (18°C) and 90°F (32°C) from March to June and from September to November, seven months of porch weather. Indoor upholstery is not made for weather, so a porch set would be covered in the water-repellent outdoor fabric, which comes mostly in plain colors.

Local questions

I want this U design with twelve armrests in total. Is that possible?

Armrest counts follow the length of the seating, and the designer spaces them so nobody sits boxed in: two to four suit a small L, six or more a big U. Say how many people sit at once, and twelve can be planned along a long U.

My wife will choose the style and colors. What should we send for a quote?

Send wall-to-wall measurements, a wide photo of the room and two or three looks the family likes. The designer replies with a drawing and fabric photos everyone at home can review. Ask us for a design consultation — we can talk through your room on a video call.

Does the set come with covers, or do I buy them separately?

Every cushion arrives already covered in its fabric. Covers unzip and can be machine-washed on a gentle 86°F (30°C) cycle, and spare covers or single pieces can be ordered any time.

Which matching table sets go with the majlis, and how many pieces are in each?

Tables come as one large center piece with four small side tables, or as nesting sets of 5, 7 or 9 pieces in star, round or square shapes. They are add-ons to a custom majlis quote.