Does a firm seat have to sit low, or can foam reach sofa height?
Firmness and height are separate choices. Seats come in four thicknesses, 4 in (10 cm), 8 in (20 cm), 12 in (30 cm) and 16 in (40 cm), and at 16 in (40 cm) a raised majlis sits at about the seat height of a regular living-room sofa.
A seat of 12 in (30 cm) can be built as 8 in (20 cm) plus 4 in (10 cm), and a seat of 16 in (40 cm) as two layers of 8 in (20 cm). The layers are separate pieces, so a top layer can come off and serve as an extra floor mattress for a guest. The 8 in (20 cm) plus 4 in (10 cm) stack tends to slide, so a single 12 in (30 cm) block is recommended.
The ACS 5-year estimates show that seven in ten occupied Mississippi homes are owner-occupied, so a height is often chosen once and lived with for years. I would try a height at home first: sit on a chair or sofa of the same height and stand up from it a few times. Every height for an American room is compared in our guide to majlis room sizes and seat heights in the USA. The Arabic majlis range also sets out the builds and seat heights.
From the atelier
Questions buyers ask
- Is the foam hard or soft, is it comfortable to sit on, and will it go soft over time?
- The seat is firm to medium-firm, and a softer or a firmer filling can be requested. Seats use high-density polyurethane foam — ask us for the exact density for your build. Backrests and armrests use a softer foam than the seats. If one seat does tire, replacement foam can be ordered any time.
- How is a majlis quoted when I count in meters or feet?
- A custom majlis is quoted from the total running length of seating, together with the model, the seat height, the build (all foam or wooden frame) and the backrest style. Add up the walls that will carry seating, leave out door openings and send the lengths in feet or meters.
How deep is a majlis seat, and can the depth change?
Seats are about 27.5 in (70 cm) deep on floor sofa sets and about 29.5 in (75 cm) on a custom majlis. A backrest 4 in (10 cm) thick takes about 4 in (10 cm) of that, so a 27.5 in (70 cm) cushion leaves roughly 23.5 in (60 cm) to sit on.
A narrow room can take a seat reduced to about 19.5 in (50 cm) to 23.5 in (60 cm), and a deeper seat of up to about 33.5 in (85 cm) can be made on request.
What is inside an all-foam majlis, and when does a wooden base make sense?
All-foam majlis have no internal wood or metal frame and no springs, because the foam itself gives the shape. Most come in two main heights, 12 in (30 cm) and about 16 in (40 cm), so full foam reaches sofa height without a frame.
A wooden base is built at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model and is not made lower. A model with a wooden base and backrest can also stand away from a wall, which foam alone cannot do. Wooden pieces take longer to make than foam sets — ask us for the current schedule. They also travel in heavier protective packaging.
Read how seat foam is chosen in our guide to sponge and foam quality, and see the frame builds in the wooden bench and sedir majlis range. For the all-foam build, see our floor sofa sets.
Why can two rooms with the same wall length need different seat counts?
Corners take length. On an L or a U, the seat on the second wall is shorter by one seat depth, about 27.5 in (70 cm), because the first run already fills the corner.
| Room | Seating run | Seats |
|---|---|---|
| Straight wall of 276 in (700 cm) | 276 in (700 cm) | 4 seats of 69 in (175 cm) |
| L with walls of 157 in (400 cm) and 118 in (300 cm) | 157 in (400 cm) + 91 in (230 cm) = 248 in (630 cm) | 3 seats of 52 in (133 cm), then 2 of 45 in (115 cm) |
| L with walls of 138 in (350 cm) and 138 in (350 cm) | 138 in (350 cm) + 110 in (280 cm) = 248 in (630 cm) | 2 seats of 69 in (175 cm), then 2 of 55 in (140 cm) |
The quote follows that layout, not a count of cushions. The majlis planner runs the same corner rule on your lengths, and our guide to measuring a room for a majlis has a printable worksheet for them. The corner rule is also explained in majlis layouts.
Can floor cushions go on a Mississippi porch in spring and fall?
Jackson's 1991 to 2020 station normals show average highs between 64°F (18°C) and 90°F (32°C) in six months, March to May and September to November, so floor cushions can live on a covered porch in spring and fall. July highs reach about 91°F (33°C), and the porch rests in midsummer.
For a covered porch, choose the water-repellent outdoor fabric, which is offered mostly in plain colors; the regular fabrics are meant for indoor rooms. I would carry the set out once highs pass 64°F (18°C) and bring it in when they fall under it.
What should you check when a Mississippi order arrives in several boxes?
Expect several boxes, possibly on different days, with a tracking number for each one emailed as soon as the order ships. Open the bags within about a week of delivery, and leave the cushions alone for about a day while they recover their full shape. Delivery to the US and Canada is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current transit estimate.
Delivery to the US and Canada is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current transit estimate.
For US deliveries we prepay import duties and the courier's customs fees, so there's nothing to pay at your door. If a courier ever asks you for a duty or fee on this order, send us the notice and we'll settle it.
| Mississippi time | Istanbul is ahead by | A noon call in Mississippi reaches Istanbul at |
|---|---|---|
| Central, summer | 8 hours | 8 p.m. |
| Central, winter | 9 hours | 9 p.m. |
Which Arab ancestries does the census count in Mississippi, and in what kinds of homes?
Lebanese households lead the census count of Mississippi's Arab ancestries.
| Place | What the figures show | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | About 7,473 residents report Arab ancestry, about 0.25% of the state | ACS 5-year |
| Mississippi | About 9,911 counted as Middle Eastern or North African, about 0.33% | 2020 Census |
| Mississippi | Lebanese about 3,370, Other Arab about 1,972, simply Arab about 870 | ACS 5-year |
| Mississippi homes | 69.3% single-family detached, 70.0% owner-occupied, 2.8% in buildings of 20 or more units | ACS 5-year |
| Jackson | January high about 57°F (14°C), July high about 91°F (33°C), about 57 in (146 cm) of precipitation a year | Station normals 1991-2020 |
Local questions
Can I refresh the color of a set without buying new foam?
A set can be refreshed in a new color by ordering covers alone, without new foam. A cover unzips from its foam, so washing is a gentle 86°F (30°C) machine cycle with a mild detergent, and heat is best avoided because it can shrink the fabric.
Can a taller majlis design also be made lower?
Most raised majlis designs can also be made at 8 in (20 cm), keeping the same look at half the height, and heights such as 10 in (25 cm) can be made on request. A wooden-base model is the exception: it is built at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model.
Can I feel the foam before I order?
Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order. A video call can also put finished seating and foam on camera. We don't have a showroom; ask us for a sample box or a video call.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B04006 (ancestry)
- US Census Bureau, 2020 Census DHC-A: the Middle Eastern and North African population
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, tables B25003 and B25024 (tenure, units in structure)
- Jackson climate normals, 1991 to 2020
