Oriental Arabic Sofas in Vermont: Floor Seating for Long Winters

What do one wall, an L and a U take from a Vermont family room?

According to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, about two in three Vermont housing units are single-family detached houses. Most family rooms therefore have at least one long wall to build from. Pick the shape by the number of adults it must seat, then test it against that wall.

Plan	Seat cushions	Seating	Adults seated
One wall	1	up to 75 in (190 cm) along one wall	2 to 3
L-shape	2	75 × 102 in (190 × 260 cm) of floor	5 to 6
U-shape	3	about 224 in (570 cm) along three walls	8 to 9

According to the National Association of Home Builders' analysis of Census data, about two in three new single-family starts in New England include a basement. A finished basement is a realistic home for a long U. Our guide to majlis layouts shows how each shape sits on its walls, and the floor sofa sets start from a single run, an L or a U.

From the atelier

Questions buyers ask

How can I judge a set from Vermont before I order it?: Nothing is on display in Vermont: our majlis and floor seating are cut, sewn and finished to order in Istanbul, with no store or warehouse stock anywhere in the US. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.
Is a rug sold without the seating set, and in which sizes?: A rug does not need a seating set: it can be ordered alone, in stock sizes from 31.5 × 79 in (80 × 200 cm) up to 79 × 118 in (200 × 300 cm) (not every size exists in every design), or made to the size of the room.

How do you measure a Vermont room around radiators and floor vents?

Mark every radiator, heater and floor vent on a sketch first; a seat can stop short of a radiator, and a base can be cut around a vent.
Run the tape along each seating wall, corner to corner, and leave doorways out. Say whether the number is the bare wall or the length you want seated.
Leave about 2 in (5 cm) of play at each wall end; foam cushions forgive a small measuring difference.
Send the sketch with one photo of each corner, or hold the tape up on the video call. A phone measuring app is fine.

Does a thicker seat help when the floor is cold?

Thickness sets the height of the seat, not its warmth. A 4 in (10 cm) seat is the classic floor seat, and 8 in (20 cm) is the everyday low choice. If someone finds low seats hard to rise from, look at 12 in (30 cm) or 16 in (40 cm). The taller one sits close to the seat of a regular sofa.

A seat of 8 in (20 cm) can be one solid block or two stacked 4 in (10 cm) cushions, so say which you prefer when you order. Stacked layers are separate pieces. The top one can come off and become a spare floor mattress for guests, and a 4 in (10 cm) layer added later turns 8 in (20 cm) into 12 in (30 cm).

Rose-pink damask majlis along three walls with cream bases, rectangular ottomans edged in gold tassels, a white rug and swag curtains — Rose-pink damask seats on cream bases, with rectangular ottomans edged in gold tassels on a white rug.

Under the cushions, a rug keeps the bases off a bare floor. Our guide to what shapes a majlis quote shows how thickness, build and fabric add up.

What does a Vermont delivery look like, and how far apart are the clocks?

Foam cushions are compressed and sealed in vacuum bags, then sent in several boxes that may arrive on different days. Tracking numbers come per box, by email, as soon as the order ships.

Our delivery notes by country lay out where orders go and how the import step works.

Delivery to the US and Canada is by tracked express courier — ask us for the current transit estimate.

Ask us

Import duties for US deliveries are set by US Customs — ask us how they apply to your order before you pay.

Ask us

Vermont, US Eastern	Istanbul is ahead by	Istanbul clock when it is 9 a.m. in Vermont
In US summer	7 hours	4 p.m.
In US winter	8 hours	5 p.m.

How large are Vermont's Lebanese and Syrian communities?

The Census Bureau counts about 2,600 Vermont residents of Arab ancestry, and Lebanese ancestry is the largest group by a wide margin.

Place	What the figures show	Source
Vermont	About 2,610 residents of Arab ancestry, 0.40% of the state	ACS 5-year
Vermont	Lebanese about 1,605 (61% of the Arab-ancestry total), other Arab about 382, Syrian about 371	ACS 5-year
Vermont	About 3,654 residents identified as Middle Eastern or North African, 0.57%	2020 Census
Vermont homes	73.2% owner-occupied, 4.6% in buildings of 20 or more units, median year built 1976	ACS 5-year
Burlington	January average high 28°F (-2°C), low 12°F (-11°C); July average high 82°F (28°C)	Station normals
Burlington	About 87 in (222 cm) of snow and 37.5 in (95 cm) of precipitation a year	Station normals
Vermont climate	Five months, May to September, with average highs between 64°F (18°C) and 90°F (32°C)	Derived from station normals

Can floor cushions move to a Vermont porch from May to September?

Porch weather lasts about five months, from May to September, so cushions in outdoor fabric go out late and come back early. Move them in before the first cold night and give them a dry room to air in.

Local questions

Can a regular fabric stay on a porch through the five warm months?

Regular upholstery fabrics are made for indoor rooms. For a porch, the atelier uses an outdoor fabric that repels water, mostly in plain colors; that means a splash can be wiped off, nothing more. Tell the design team how much sun and rain the spot gets.

If nobody can come to measure, how does the plan get drawn?

The atelier does not make home visits or measure on site. You measure with guidance on a video call, and the design team turns your sketch and photos into a seat-by-seat plan. Foam sets arrive ready to use.

If one cover cannot be saved, can I order just the cover?

Covers can be ordered without foam, and single pieces, replacement foam and covers-only sets can be ordered any time. Send the design name and a photo of the piece, and the design team replies with what can be made to match.

Can a wooden-base majlis be made as low as a floor seat?

Wooden-base models are built at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model and are not made lower. For a seat close to the floor, choose an all-foam set at 4 in (10 cm) or 8 in (20 cm).