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The Atelier Journal

The Atelier Journal is where the Oriental Sofa atelier writes about majlis culture: the customs, guests, crafts and rooms that grew up around low seating along the walls. Stories sit under six topics, from hospitality and craft to homes abroad and family occasions, each written in one of the atelier's editorial voices.

Latest stories

From the atelier

Questions buyers ask

What happens in the workshop between the fabric arriving and a custom majlis being packed?
A custom majlis moves through the same workshop steps: the fabric arrives, fabric and foam are cut, the upholsterer sews the covers, progress photos are shared, and the set is packed and shipped. The Craft & Materials stories look more closely at each of those steps, from the foam to the seams.
How many hours ahead of US Eastern time is the Istanbul atelier?
Our Istanbul workshop runs 7–8 hours ahead of US Eastern time, depending on the season. An East Coast morning therefore falls in the workshop afternoon, a useful window for a video call about measuring or fabric.

Culture & Traditions

One story

Hospitality

One story

Homes Abroad

By place

Majlis seating for homes and venues around the world · 71 places

United States 51

Canada 1

United Kingdom & Europe 10

The Gulf 6

More places 3

Craft & Materials

One story

Rooms & Design

Two stories

Occasions

One story

Plan & measure

Practical guides before you order

All guides

What does the Atelier Journal cover?

The journal follows six threads, and every story belongs to one of them, from the first cup poured for the eldest guest to the weave of a kilim backrest. Earlier pieces live here too, among them the practical notes on hosting guests and meetings in a majlis room.

  • Culture & Traditions: the names, origins and customs of floor seating, from the Gulf to Morocco, Türkiye and Afghanistan
  • Hospitality: coffee and tea service, guests and the order of a visit
  • Homes Abroad: how families keep a guest room in North America, Europe and Australia
  • Craft & Materials: foam, velvet, kilim weaves and wooden frames, and how a seat is made
  • Rooms & Design: color, light, pattern and layout in a majlis room
  • Occasions: Ramadan, Eid, henna nights, weddings and family gatherings

Which journal topic answers which question about a majlis?

TopicTypical questionA practical measure it leads to
Culture & TraditionsWhat is this seating called, and where did it come from?Seat heights of 4 in (10 cm), 8 in (20 cm), 12 in (30 cm) or 16 in (40 cm)
HospitalityHow are coffee and tea served to guests?Seats about 29.5 in (75 cm) deep for long evenings
Homes AbroadHow does a majlis fit a house built without one?Cushions up to 75 in (190 cm) long, split to fit each wall
Craft & MaterialsWhat is inside a seat, and how is it covered?Backrests 16 in (40 cm) tall and 4 in (10 cm) thick
Rooms & DesignHow do color, light and layout work together?Foam that forgives about 2 in (5 cm) at each wall end
OccasionsHow should the room be ready for Ramadan or Eid?A 12 in (30 cm) or 16 in (40 cm) seat for older guests

Which stories suit which room or occasion?

  • A guest room or diwaniya: Hospitality and Culture & Traditions, on guests, coffee and the customs of a visit
  • A family living room: Rooms & Design, for mixing a majlis with everyday furniture
  • A home far from where the family grew up: Homes Abroad
  • Ramadan and Eid evenings: Occasions, beginning with Arabic sofas for Ramadan meetings
  • Choosing a fabric or a frame: Craft & Materials

Where should a first-time reader start?

  1. Learn the words first: what a majlis is and the majlis glossary, with regional names and the parts of a set.
  2. Pick one topic from the list above and read two or three stories in it.
  3. Turn ideas into a room: Arabic majlis sofa sets lists builds, seat heights and the pieces each wall needs.

Why does a seating atelier keep a journal about majlis culture?

A majlis is more than its cushions, and the families who order one often arrive with a story already in mind, a grandmother's guest room, a set of finjan cups brought from home, a room that fills with cousins on an Eid morning. The journal keeps those stories close to the practical side of the work, since every custom majlis is cut, sewn and finished to order in Istanbul for one particular room. I find that a reader who knows why the eldest guest sits where they do also plans the corner seat with more care. Hospitality is a habit before it is a room.

Frequently asked questions

Who writes the stories in the Atelier Journal?

Stories are written in the editorial voices of the Oriental Sofa atelier, each with its own field, such as culture and traditions, care, color or room planning. Every voice has an author page, and a story that cites history or figures lists its sources at the end.

Are Arabic and Turkish words explained in the journal?

Each regional word is written in Latin letters and glossed in English the first time it appears, so terms like majlis, jalsa, sedir or diwaniya read clearly without a dictionary. The glossary gathers these words with their regional names and the parts of a set.

Does the journal cover customs beyond the Gulf?

The journal is written for homes well beyond the Gulf, and its topics take in the Yemeni mafraj, Moroccan salons, Afghan toshak rooms and Ottoman sedir rooms. Homes Abroad follows families who keep a guest room in North America, Europe and Australia, often in houses never built with a majlis in mind.

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