---
title: "Arabic Sofa in Holland (Netherlands): Majlis for Dutch Homes"
url: "https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-holland/"
lang: "en"
dir: "ltr"
date_published: "2024-12-04T00:00:00+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-10-13T00:00:00+00:00"
author: "Suheyl"
---

# Arabic Majlis in the Netherlands: Corner Seating for Dutch Living Rooms

About 58% of people in the Netherlands live in a semi-detached or terraced house, so an Arabic sofa in the Netherlands usually goes into one corner of a narrow living room as an L or a U. Plans are drawn in centimeters, and each made-to-measure seat is cut in Istanbul to the corner you measure, with the staircase and windows marked on the drawing.

## Questions buyers ask

### Is an A.TR movement document issued with the set, and how are import charges handled?

Sets are made in Istanbul, so they enter the EU as goods from Türkiye. The customs note attached to your quote lists the papers that apply to your order, including any A.TR movement document, and says how import charges are handled. Ask before the parcel leaves if you need copies for your own records.

### Our living room in a Dutch terraced house is small. Can one corner become a majlis with a carpet?

A corner L or U suits a narrow living room. Send wall-to-wall lengths in centimeters and mark the doors, windows and the staircase if it opens into the room, and the designer plans the seats to those walls, adjusting each corner for a seat depth of about 70 cm (27.5 in). A rug can be made to the size of the corner.

## How many pieces make a corner L, and what do they measure?

A corner L usually ships in two or three boxes and a U in more, and the duties and paperwork for the Netherlands are on our [delivery page for each country](https://orientalsofa.com/delivery/). A standard L set seats about five to six adults and holds the pieces below.

| Piece in a full patterned L set | Size | Count |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seat cushion | 190 × 70 cm (75 × 27.5 in) | 2 |
| Long backrest | 95 × 40 × 10 cm (37.5 × 16 × 4 in) | 4 |
| Corner backrest | 60 × 40 × 10 cm (23.5 × 16 × 4 in) | 1 |
| Armrest bolster | 50 × 20 × 20 cm (19.5 × 8 × 8 in) | 2 |
| Pouf pillow | 70 × 50 cm (27.5 × 19.5 in) | 3 |
| Ottoman table | 60 × 60 × 20 cm (23.5 × 23.5 × 8 in) | 1 |

## What goes on the sketch of a Dutch living room before the corner is drawn?

1. Mark the staircase first if it opens into the room, with the spot where its first step lands.
2. Measure each wall in centimeters from corner to corner, skipping doorways; a phone measuring app is fine.
3. Note where windows, a radiator or a door sit on each wall, so the drawing keeps them clear.
4. Say which wall carries the first full-length run, since the corner takes one seat depth off the second.
5. Add a photo of each corner and a short video of the whole room.

A corner L on walls of 320 cm (126 in) and 250 cm (98 in) comes to three seats: two of 160 cm (63 in) on the long wall, and one of 180 cm (71 in) on the other, because 250 cm (98 in) less one seat depth of 70 cm (27.5 in) is 180 cm (71 in).

## Is a 20 cm (8 in) seat the right start for a family that sits on the floor?

A 20 cm (8 in) seat is the usual low seat close to the floor. It can be two stacked 10 cm (4 in) cushions or one solid block, so say which you prefer when you order. If the family later wants a higher seat, adding a 10 cm (4 in) layer turns it into 30 cm (12 in) and a layer of 20 cm (8 in) into 40 cm (16 in), about the height of a regular living-room sofa.

## Why does a color look different in a Dutch January, and how do you check it first?

Amsterdam's January highs average about 6°C (43°F) in the 1991 to 2020 station normals, and a color judged from a sunlit video or a screen can look different in a living room at that time of year. Solid colors are picked by number from our fabric color card, so check the number in the room it is for, beside the window the family sits near. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.

> I look at a new fabric in the same corner on a gray morning and on a bright afternoon before I trust the first look.

A terrace or balcony gets only four months, June to September, with average highs between 18°C (64°F) and 32°C (90°F), and only a water-repellent outdoor fabric belongs out there.

## Can a children's reading corner start from single pieces?

A reading corner does not need a full set. The basic single set is five pieces: one 190 cm (75 in) seat cushion, two backrests and two armrests, and a single 60 × 60 × 20 cm (23.5 × 23.5 × 8 in) ottoman can stand on its own; our [velvet floor sofas](https://orientalsofa.com/velvet-sofa/) show the single sets. A custom majlis quote covers seat cushions, backrests, armrests and matching pillows, while tables, rugs and curtains are separate add-ons.

![Brick red velvet single seat with square backrests and block armrests, an ottoman and floor pillows below a white arch](https://orientalsofa.com/media/so/solid-velvet-single-floor-sofa-brick-red-view-01-1200.webp)

*A single run in rust orange velvet: one seat, three back cushions, block armrests, an ottoman and floor pillows.*

Covers can be ordered without foam, for example to refresh a set in a new color. A spare set of covers is the calmest answer to a house full of kids.

## What travels with a set delivered to the Netherlands?

The paperwork that rides with a set is a commercial invoice naming the goods, their value, weight and materials, plus proof of payment. Tracking is per box: each one has its own number, emailed as soon as your order ships, so a partial delivery is easy to follow. Ask us about freight options for large and commercial orders.

Delivery across Europe is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current estimate for your country.

Import VAT applies to furniture shipped into the EU — ask us how it's handled for your order before you pay.

| Dutch clock | Istanbul runs ahead by | A 5 p.m. message in the Netherlands reads on the Istanbul clock as |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Winter, CET | 2 hours | 7 p.m. |
| Summer, CEST | 1 hour | 6 p.m. |

## Which Dutch cities hold the largest Moroccan and Syrian communities?

Moroccan, Syrian, Iraqi and Turkish-Dutch households may choose differently. Moroccan-style floor couches have their own page, [Moroccan floor seating](https://orientalsofa.com/moroccan-floor-seating/); a majlis runs along the walls as straight seats, and our Sedir Bench line sits on a solid pine frame under a heavy kilim-style weave.

| Place | What the figures show | Source |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Netherlands | More than 420,000 residents with a Moroccan background, about 2.5% of the population | CBS, Statistics Netherlands |
| Netherlands | About 166,000 residents with a Syrian background | CBS, Statistics Netherlands |
| Netherlands | About 177,300 residents born in Morocco, 166,000 born in Syria and 50,900 born in Iraq | Eurostat, migr_pop3ctb |
| Four largest cities | Slightly under half of people with a Moroccan background live there | CBS, Statistics Netherlands |
| Amsterdam | About 80,000 residents with Moroccan roots | CBS, Statistics Netherlands |
| Dutch homes | About 76% of people live in houses (58% semi-detached or terraced, 18% detached) and 22% in flats | Eurostat, EU-SILC |

## How does a Dutch mosque or community center plan its seating?

Mosques and community halls order made-to-measure floor seating from us, and so do cafés and restaurants. Start from the hall's wall lengths and the number of people you expect, then read our page on [majlis seating for organizations and events](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-majlis-for-organizations-and-events/).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can the courier deliver after 6 pm or on a Saturday? Nobody is home during the day.

Time-window requests are arranged with the courier rather than the workshop, once the tracking number we email you arrives. After you order, we ask for a phone number and email address for the courier, so give a number that someone answers on the day.

### How many armrests and pillows come with a run of about 500 cm (197 in)?

On a custom majlis the designer spaces armrests and pillows along the seating so it does not feel crowded: a small L usually takes two to four armrests and a large U six or more. For a run of about 500 cm (197 in) the drawing proposes the counts, and you can ask for more for a fuller look.

### I would pay first for a set made in another country. How will I know it matches the plan?

Custom orders are photographed and filmed for your approval before they ship. Once the order leaves the workshop, each box has its own tracking number. Nothing is cut before you agree the drawing.

## Related pages

- [Arabic floor sofas and floor seating sets](https://orientalsofa.com/floor-sofas/)
- [Arabic Majlis in Belgium: Floor Seating for Brussels Flats, Houses and Cafes](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofas-in-belgium/)
- [Arabic Majlis in Germany: Floor Seating Planned for German Flats](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-germany/)
- [Arabic Sofa and Majlis Seating Made to Measure for French Homes](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofa-in-france/)
- [Arabic Sofas in Australia: Majlis Seating for Lounges, Sized to Your Walls](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-sofas-in-australia/)
- [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

- [Statistics Netherlands (CBS), Integration and living together: population by migration background](https://longreads.cbs.nl/integratie-en-samenleven-2024/bevolking/)
- [Eurostat, migr_pop3ctb: population by country of birth](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/migr_pop3ctb/default/table)
- [Eurostat, EU-SILC ilc_lvho01: population by dwelling type](https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/ilc_lvho01/default/table)
- [Amsterdam climate normals 1991 to 2020 (monthly highs)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amsterdam)
- [IANA time zone rules, Europe/Amsterdam and Europe/Istanbul](https://www.iana.org/time-zones)