Arabic majlis sets, made to the walls of your room

Every majlis starts from the same short list of pieces; what changes from one room to the next is the build, the seat height and the cloth. The atelier makes all-foam majlis from floor level up to sofa height, majlis on wooden bases at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model, and regional styles such as the low, bolster-lined Yemeni majlis, and most designs can be built either way.

A custom majlis quote covers the seat cushions, backrests, both styles of armrest and the matching pillows, all with covers and filling. A small L usually takes two to four armrests and a large U six or more. Tables, rugs and curtains are separate add-ons, and the note on what shapes a majlis quote walks through each line.

Choose one of the two higher seats if anyone at home finds low seats hard to get up from, and one of the two lower seats for a classic floor-style room or a prayer room.

In many homes grandparents and small children share the same long evening in the majlis, so a seat height is really a choice about who will sit there longest. I think of the middle height as a fair meeting point, kind to knees that no longer fold all the way down, and the guide to majlis seat height compares every option. Floor seating puts everyone at the same height, and that changes the conversation.

A majlis is built either entirely from high-density foam or with foam seats on an MDF and wood frame. The all-foam build has no internal frame and no springs, so the foam itself gives the shape. Seats use high-density polyurethane foam — ask us for the exact density for your build. The foam sits firm to medium-firm, and softer or firmer filling can be requested.

• All-foam majlis: two main heights, 12 in (30 cm) and about 16 in (40 cm)
• Foam seats on a wooden base: solid pine or MDF under the seat
• Full wooden model: a wooden base and backrest, with carved back panels cut from MDF
• Covers: they unzip and can be machine-washed on a gentle 86°F (30°C) cycle

Each family answers the old question of how a household sits with its guests in its own way. Yemeni style keeps the seat low and the bolsters plentiful. Turkish Majlis uses wooden frames with Turkish carpet-weave cushions; Sedir Bench uses pine benches with kilim-patterned cushions.

• Wooden bench majlis: benches of 75 × 27.5 × 16 in (190 × 70 × 40 cm), cushion included, in sets of one, two or three
• Turkish Majlis: a wooden frame with Turkish carpet-weave cushions
• Yemeni majlis: low seating along every wall, with firm backrests and armrest bolsters

A wall takes one seat cushion for every 75 in (190 cm) of its length, rounded up, because no seat piece is made longer than that; splitting a long wall also keeps patterns aligned. At a corner, the second wall's seat starts where the first run ends, so it is shorter by one seat depth. Each full-length cushion seats two to three people.

Foam forgives a measuring difference of up to about 2 in (5 cm), so leave a little space at each wall end. Cut-to-length seats and small filler seats close the remaining gaps, and the majlis layouts page draws single, L-shaped and U-shaped rooms with their measurements.

The first step is measuring each wall from corner to corner, skipping doorways, and sending a sketch with photos. Custom orders start with a layout plan for your approval. Production time depends on your layout and the season — ask us for the current schedule. Photos and video of the finished majlis come to you for approval before it ships.

1. Send your walls
2. We draw the layout
3. You approve, then we cut

Custom majlis pieces are laid out at the workshop and numbered before packing, so each cushion, backrest and armrest goes into place in order. The numbers match the layout drawing you signed off.

Most designs can be built with or without a wooden base and backrests, and wood-frame designs can also be made as all-foam floor seating. The pattern and colors stay the same while the seat drops to 4 in (10 cm) or 8 in (20 cm).

Seat depth can be reduced for a narrow room, to about 19.5 in (50 cm)–23.5 in (60 cm), or made deeper on request, up to about 33.5 in (85 cm). A shallower seat leaves more floor free in front of the seating.