---
title: "Arabic Sofas in Alabama: Majlis, Nook Cushions & Yemeni Sets"
url: "https://orientalsofa.com/alabama/"
lang: "en"
dir: "ltr"
date_published: "2024-11-07T00:00:00+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-10-13T00:00:00+00:00"
author: "Defne"
---

# Arabic Sofas and Majlis Floor Seating for Alabama Homes

Detached houses make up about 69% of Alabama's housing units and seven in ten homes are owner-occupied, so Arabic sofas in Alabama are often planned for a family room that stays put for years. A household expecting to move can order separate straight runs instead, each with its own backrests and armrests, and the Istanbul atelier draws each run from the walls you measure.

## 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.

## 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 |

> An L-shape is a conversation, and a U-shape is a gathering.

Sizes for every shape are on our [majlis layouts page](https://orientalsofa.com/majlis-layouts/), and the [guide to what shapes a majlis quote](https://orientalsofa.com/guides/what-shapes-a-majlis-quote/) explains how the total length is weighed.

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

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.

> A returning buyer in Alabama wanted a seat cushion for an office nook in her home and sent the measurements. The team suggested 4 in (10 cm) as plenty for a nook and drew a seat-only custom piece. When she asked what was included, the team clarified that the custom order covered only the seating cushion and offered to add two armrests. An automatic shipping notice went out before the parcel had actually left, which caused some confusion that the team cleared up with a photo of the ready order. After the first cushion arrived, she ordered an identical one for the same-sized nook in her son's room, praised the work and said she would order again.

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

A [sample box](https://orientalsofa.com/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.

> A Yemeni buyer in Alabama asked for a Yemeni-style majlis with wood, about 12 in (30 cm) high. Our designer proposed the standard 15 in (38 cm) height for that model and quoted the wooden version. The buyer then asked for a foam-only version at 10 in (25 cm); since that step is not made, the designer offered 8 in (20 cm) and 12 in (30 cm) and quoted both. He asked about back height, seat depth (29.5 in (75 cm)), foam density and warranty, and learned that his room would take nine armrests with matching pillows. Never having ordered before, he wanted to know whether other Yemeni families in the US had bought; the designer mentioned a recent project in New York and suggested a sample box with fabric swatches and foam, which he liked.

## 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](https://orientalsofa.com/media/no/nomad-diwan-l-green-kilim-diamond-view-01-941.webp)

*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](https://orientalsofa.com/floor-sofas/) 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.

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

| 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](https://orientalsofa.com/oriental-arabic-jalsah-in-tennessee/) and [Arabic sofas in South Carolina](https://orientalsofa.com/oriental-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.

## Frequently asked 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.

## Related pages

- [Yemeni and Arabic Majlis for American Homes, Cut to Your Walls](https://orientalsofa.com/yemeni-majlises-for-usa/)
- [Yemeni Majlis Sets, From the Mafraj to Your Living Room](https://orientalsofa.com/yemeni-majlis/)
- [Customizing a Yemeni Majlis: What Can Be Made to Your Room](https://orientalsofa.com/custom-made-yemeni-majlis/)
- [Wooden-Base Arabic Majlis and Sedir Bench Sets](https://orientalsofa.com/cedar-arabic-majlis/)
- [Floor cushions, half seats and spare pieces for your majlis](https://orientalsofa.com/floor-cushion/)
- [How to Measure a Room for a Majlis, Wall by Wall](https://orientalsofa.com/guides/how-to-measure-for-a-majlis/)
- [Plan your majlis from your wall measurements](https://orientalsofa.com/tools/majlis-planner/)

## Sources

- [US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B04006 (ancestry)](https://censusreporter.org/tables/B04006/)
- [US Census Bureau, 2020 Census DHC-A: the Middle Eastern and North African population](https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2023/09/2020-census-dhc-a-mena-population.html)
- [US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, tables B25003, B25024 and B25035 (tenure, units in structure, year built)](https://censusreporter.org/tables/B25024/)
- [US Census Bureau, Survey of Construction (foundation type of new single-family homes)](https://www.census.gov/construction/chars/)
- [Birmingham, Alabama climate normals, 1991 to 2020](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birmingham,_Alabama)