---
title: "Traditional Cream Star Jalsah with Low Plain Backrests"
url: "https://orientalsofa.com/urun/traditional-arabic-star-jalsah/"
lang: "en"
dir: "ltr"
date_published: "2025-01-16T00:00:00+00:00"
date_modified: "2026-10-13T00:00:00+00:00"
author: "Kerem"
---

# Traditional Arabic Star Jalsah in Cream and Gold

Framed art often hangs close over the seating in a traditional Arabic jalsah, so this cream-and-gold design keeps its backrests plain and only 16 in (40 cm) tall, leaving the wall to the frames. Backrests are 4 in (10 cm) thick, and on a 16 in (40 cm) seat the whole back reaches about 31.5 in (80 cm) from the floor.

## Questions buyers ask

### Can I have a firmer or taller backrest instead of the standard soft back pillows?

Backrests can be made firmer than the standard soft back pillows. A firm sponge backrest replaces loose pillows for a more upright feel, and wooden-backrest models build the back into the frame; ask us before planning a taller back.

### Can I get firm block or flat backrests instead of the puffy pillow-style backs?

Backrests can be made as firm upholstered blocks instead of loose pillows. On some designs the pillow-style back is part of the pattern, so choosing a model that already has block backrests works better.

## What goes into the Star Jalsah, piece by piece?

| Component | Count | Size |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Seat | Equal lengths per wall | Up to 75 in (190 cm), 29.5 in (75 cm) deep |
| Plain backrest | Two per seat | 16 in (40 cm) high, 4 in (10 cm) deep |
| Corner seat | Each inside corner | 39 × 39 in (100 × 100 cm) when raised |
| Armrest | Each open end | 19.5 × 8 × 8 in (50 × 20 × 20 cm) bolster, low seats |

Cream seats and gold details make up the whole of the seating; the black glass tables, chandelier and framed art in the photos are styling, quoted only if you ask. Classic designs like this one are cut by the same module rules as [the wider majlis range](https://orientalsofa.com/arabic-majlis/).

## How high should the backrests sit under wall art?

Measure from the floor to the bottom of the lowest frame. On a 16 in (40 cm) seat the backrest top lands near 31.5 in (80 cm), on a 12 in (30 cm) seat near 27.5 in (70 cm), so a frame hung at 39 in (100 cm) clears either with room to spare.

My choice here is the standard 16 in (40 cm) backrest rather than a taller one. A tall back competes with the frames, and a plain cover lets the gold in the art carry the room.

## How deep and how high are the seats?

Seats are about 29.5 in (75 cm) deep, the usual depth for a custom majlis. A narrow room can take about 19.5 in (50 cm)–23.5 in (60 cm), and a deeper seat of up to about 33.5 in (85 cm) is possible on request.

| Seat height | Top of backrest | Note |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 4 in (10 cm) | About 19.5 in (50 cm) | Traditional floor line |
| 8 in (20 cm) | About 23.5 in (60 cm) | Low and relaxed |
| 12 in (30 cm) | About 27.5 in (70 cm) | Easier to stand from |
| 16 in (40 cm) | About 31.5 in (80 cm) | Sofa height |

Choose a wooden base and the seat stays at 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm); that build is not made lower. Seats use high-density polyurethane foam — ask us for the exact density for your build.

> A good seam is the one nobody ever talks about.

## Velvet, chenille or a linen-look weave: which suits a classic room?

Turkish velvet gives cream the softest sheen, chenille adds a little texture, and linen-look weaves read flatter. All three are indoor fabrics, each in the full range of solid shades, and the gold can give way to silver-gray or black accents.

More gold-trimmed classics are gathered under royal majlis designs, and [what a majlis is and how it is used](https://orientalsofa.com/what-is-arabic-sofa/) covers the room itself. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.

## What should you settle before asking for a quote?

1. Run the tape along each wall at floor level, then note how high the lowest frame hangs.
2. Pick one seat height for the whole room from the table of heights.
3. Photograph every wall with its frames in place.

Our guide to floor sofa thickness and majlis seat height explains the next choice in more depth. Custom orders start with a layout plan for your approval.

## Frequently asked questions

### Why are the backrests on the Star Jalsah plain rather than patterned?

Plain backrests keep the wall above them calm, so framed art or mirrors stay the focus. A patterned back can still be ordered on most designs, but then simpler frames suit the room better.

### How many backrests does one Star Jalsah wall carry?

Every seat carries a pair of backrests, each covering half of it, so a 150 in (380 cm) wall split into two 75 in (190 cm) seats carries four. Shorter pieces at corners or doors get their own pair, cut to match.

### Can a Star Jalsah run sit under a low window?

It can, as long as the wall below the sill gives the backrests something to lean on. Where one side has no wall at all, that run gets a wooden base with its own back, or with metal back supports on request.

## Related pages

- [How Thick Should a Floor Sofa Be? Seat Heights Compared](https://orientalsofa.com/guides/floor-sofa-thickness-and-seat-height/)
- [Taupe Palace Jalsa](https://orientalsofa.com/urun/royal-star-arabic-palace-jalsa/)
- [Plan your majlis from your wall measurements](https://orientalsofa.com/tools/majlis-planner/)