Arabic Sofa and Majlis Seating Made to Measure for French Homes

How many pieces does an L or a U take in a French salon?

French orders usually start from the salon: the longest wall carries the first run, the next wall takes the return, and a room with three free walls takes a U. The table applies to standard patterned, kilim and Afghan sets using these totals. Ember, Shami and Bursa, and velvet, linen and Moroccan models require their own itemized lists. A full set travels as several vacuum-packed boxes with a commercial invoice listing the goods, their value, weight and materials, and our delivery and import steps by country say what happens on arrival.

A 20 cm (8 in) seat can be one block or two stacked 10 cm (4 in) layers, and the product page alone does not show which, so write the build you want on the order and count the boxes against the packing list when they arrive.

How do you measure a salon with two doors, a heater and a chest of drawers?

1. Mark every door and heater on the first photo, because a second door found later redraws the whole layout.
2. Sketch the furniture that stays, such as a chest of drawers, so an empty stretch of wall reads as a choice and not a mistake.
3. Measure each wall corner to corner in centimeters, skipping doorways, and write the number on the sketch.
4. On an L or a U, the second run loses one seat depth, about 70 cm (27.5 in), since the first run already fills the corner.
5. Where a passage is tight, ask for a shallower run: seat depth can go down to about 50 cm (19.5 in) to 60 cm (23.5 in).

Keep our worksheet for measuring a room for a majlis beside the tape, then try the numbers in the majlis planner.

Typical patterned, kilim and Afghan L examples total 14 pieces, or 16 with stacked seats. Model variants and other families differ; check the itemized list.

Can one wall be raised for older relatives while the rest stays low?

A common plan raises one wall to 40 cm (16 in), close to ordinary sofa height, and keeps the other walls at 20 cm (8 in) for a traditional majlis feel. If that step looks too tall, the raised wall can be 30 cm (12 in). Keep it near the door, so nobody steps past seated guests to reach it. A model on a wooden base is built at 37 cm (14.5 in) to 40 cm (16 in) depending on the model.

What does an L of backrests only need, and how do add-ons match?

For an L on two walls that keeps the seating you own, the parts list can be four straight backrests of 95 × 40 × 10 cm (37.5 × 16 × 4 in) and one corner backrest of 60 × 40 × 10 cm (23.5 × 16 × 4 in), with the rug and the table as separate items. Say what people will sit on and how high it is, so each backrest suits the seat in front of it. Single pieces can be ordered any time, so keep the color code of the first order and the add-on is quoted in the same fabric. Moroccan-style floor couches have their own page: Moroccan floor seating.

What should a restaurant or a prayer room plan before it orders?

A restaurant dining room of 700 × 500 cm (276 × 197 in) with two doors and a heater usually takes seating along three walls and keeps both doorways clear. For a venue open to the public, ask your safety adviser which fire rules apply to upholstered seating before you order. A prayer room that opens on a fixed date should count the boxes against the packing list before opening day, because stacked seats arrive in more boxes. See our majlis and booth seating for restaurants.

How does delivery to Paris, Lyon, Marseille and the rest of France work?

Each box has its own tracking number, and the boxes may arrive on different days. Because France charges VAT on furniture, goods arriving from outside the EU can carry import VAT. Ask for the import note to be stated on your quote before you pay; if a courier later asks you for money, check the request against the tracking number we sent you first.

Where do Maghrebi and Arab families live in France?

A flat in a Paris tower block and a house in the Lyon suburbs call for different layouts, which is why the plan starts from the room and its measurements.