In a 144 × 132 in (366 × 335 cm) room, does an L or a U leave more floor?
According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the median Massachusetts home dates from 1964, so many rooms predate open plans and the L usually comes first. Because the second run ends one seat depth short of the corner, about 27.5 in (70 cm), the 144 in (366 cm) wall takes two seats of 72 in (183 cm) and the shortened side two of about 52 in (133 cm). Older rooms can mean tighter plans, and how a majlis is sized and shipped for American homes is set out in our US guide.
| Layout | Seating run | Seats | Open floor in the middle |
|---|---|---|---|
| L on the 144 in (366 cm) and 132 in (335 cm) walls | 248 in (631 cm) | 4 | 117 × 104 in (296 × 265 cm) |
| U on three walls | 353 in (896 cm) | 6 | 89 × 104 in (226 × 265 cm) |
From the atelier
Questions buyers ask
- Our room is about 120 × 132 in (305 × 335 cm). Can an L be closed with small ottomans so it feels like a U?
- An L along two walls with an ottoman at each open end gives much of the U look, keeps the third side free for a door or a walkway and leaves about 93 × 104 in (235 × 265 cm) of open floor. Send the door position and say which walls are free; the designer draws the L and the ottoman spots for approval.
- I want the majlis in the open area in front of our kitchen. How do I work out how much seating we need?
- Measure only the walls that will carry seating, keep the kitchen walkway clear and add the runs together; that total is what the layout follows. A straight 118 in (300 cm) run is two equal seats of 59 in (150 cm), which holds about four to six adults.
How do you plan seating in an open-plan condo when no wall stands behind it?
- Mark every edge of the seating that has no wall behind it, since a backrest needs something firm to lean on.
- Keep the kitchen walkway clear on the sketch, and measure each seated wall from corner to corner.
- Photograph the open side and each run from its far end, so the drawing can be checked against the room.
- Tell the designer about the open side when you ask for a quote, so the model is chosen for it.
A wooden-base model with a wooden backrest is the one built to stand in the middle of a room; for a foam set, ask for metal back supports on the open side. Our measuring guide and the majlis planner help with the rest.
Pressed and vacuum-sealed cushions regain their full shape about 12 to 24 hours after the bags are opened, so a narrow door is rarely the problem.
Which seat height suits the family, and can a layer come off for guests?
Height follows whoever sits longest, not the size of the room. 8 in (20 cm) gives the classic floor feel, 12 in (30 cm) is a gentler rise, and all-foam models also come at about 16 in (40 cm), near a regular sofa; each is shown among our Arabic majlis sets. Stacked layers are separate pieces, so the top layer of a 8 in (20 cm) seat built from two 4 in (10 cm) layers can lift off as an extra floor mattress. I let the person who sits longest choose.
How do Moroccan-style floor couches differ from a made-to-measure majlis?
Moroccan-style floor couches are made in four lengths, about 47 in (120 cm) up to 83 in (210 cm), about 27.5 in (70 cm) deep and 6 in (15 cm) high, and unlike a majlis they are not cut to a wall. Their covers are handmade in Morocco from cotton and travel separately from the foam inserts, so a cover can be bought on its own to refresh a set in a new color. The designs are on our Moroccan floor seating page.
How does a long run of seating get through an older Massachusetts hallway?
A long run is broken into compressed cushions packed in several boxes, usually two or three for an L, rather than one long piece. Each box is tracked by a number of its own, sent by email at dispatch, and the boxes may not arrive together. Our delivery notes by country cover the import side.
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.
| Massachusetts clock | Istanbul runs ahead by | Noon in Massachusetts is, in Istanbul |
|---|---|---|
| Eastern, summer | 7 hours | 7 p.m. |
| Eastern, winter | 8 hours | 8 p.m. |
Where do Massachusetts' Lebanese and Moroccan communities live?
In homes that host often, the seat nearest the door wears first, so I swap cushions between runs with the seasons.
| Place | What the figures show | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | About 74,200 residents of Arab ancestry, 1.05% of the state | ACS 5-year |
| Massachusetts, MENA | About 113,900 residents identify as Middle Eastern or North African, 1.62% | 2020 Census |
| Largest groups | Lebanese about 30,900, Moroccan about 11,400, other Arab about 8,600 | ACS 5-year |
| Newest arrivals | Morocco was the top origin of new Arab immigrants, about 1,900 people between 2017 and 2021 | Arab American Institute, DHS data |
| Greater Boston | About 57,200 residents of Arab ancestry, among them Lebanese about 24,200 and Moroccan about 9,900 | ACS 5-year |
| Massachusetts homes | 62.5% owner-occupied, 51.1% single-family detached, 12.3% in buildings of 20 or more units | ACS 5-year |
How long is the backyard season in Massachusetts?
Boston's climate normals for 1991 to 2020 show January highs near 37°F (3°C) and roughly 49 in (125 cm) of snowfall a year, so seating stays indoors for most months. Five months, May to September, reach highs between 64°F (18°C) and 90°F (32°C), the window for a deck or a backyard, and neighboring Connecticut has the same five. Standard upholstery is made for indoor rooms, so ask about the separate water-repellent range for outdoors.
What should a café, tea house or shop display settle before ordering?
Spaces that show seating to the public need a height visitors can sit on without effort: all-foam models come at 12 in (30 cm) and about 16 in (40 cm), and wooden-base models sit at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model. A shop display is drawn from the lengths you send, the way a home layout is. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.
Local questions
Can I reorder the same model and fabric for another room?
Send a photo of the set you own, or the earlier order details, and the team matches the pattern, fabric and piece sizes where the design is still made. Fabric lots vary a little from run to run, so place every piece that sits in one room in the same order.
Is a floor sofa frameless, and can the foam be replaced later?
Floor sofas and all-foam majlis seats have no internal wood or metal frame and no springs; the foam gives the shape inside a zippered cover, and only wooden-base models sit on timber. Single pieces, replacement foam and covers-only sets can be ordered any time.
If a set has to leave through a narrow door later, can the cushions be squeezed down again?
Cushions are machine-pressed at the atelier and cannot be re-compressed at home, so plan the route once. The set is made of separate seats, backrests and armrests with no frame, so it can be carried past a tight corner piece by piece.
Can curtains be quoted together with the majlis?
Curtains are made to measure for each window, floor-length or to backrest height, and are ordered together with a majlis. They can have up to three layers: a sheer, a main color layer and an optional decorative top layer, each on its own ceiling track, hung at home.
Sources
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B04006 (ancestry)
- US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates, table B25024 (units in structure)
- US Census Bureau, 2020 Census DHC-A: the Middle Eastern and North African population
- Arab American Institute, Massachusetts demographics fact sheet
- Boston climate normals, 1991 to 2020
