Arabic Sofas in Washington State: Majlis for Seattle Homes

Which layout fits a Washington apartment, and when does a house take a U?

The Census Bureau's ACS 5-year estimates count 61.9% of Washington homes as single-family detached houses, against 56.0% in the Seattle metro. A house with a long back wall can take a U along three walls, while an apartment usually gets an L or a straight run. In an apartment building the boxes matter as much as the room: an L ships in two or three, and our guide to how a majlis is sized and shipped for American homes covers the import step that follows.

Home	Layout	Seat cushions	Full set, most patterned designs
Studio or one-bedroom	Straight run along one wall	One of 75 in (190 cm)	10 pieces
Two-bedroom living room	L-shape on about 75 × 102 in (190 × 260 cm) of floor	Two of 75 in (190 cm)	14 pieces
Detached house	U-shape, about 224 in (570 cm) of seating	Three of 75 in (190 cm)	19 pieces

From the atelier

Questions buyers ask

Can I see a set in person in Washington before buying it?: There is no showroom, warehouse or pickup point in Washington State; orders are made in our Istanbul workshop. On a video call, finished seating and foam can be shown on camera. Ask us about fabric swatches and a foam sample before you order.
How many people can sit on an L-shaped floor set, and how big are the seat cushions?: A standard L uses two seat cushions of 75 × 27.5 × 4 in (190 × 70 × 10 cm) and seats about five to six adults comfortably, up to seven when everyone sits close. A U adds a third run for a larger family, or the L can be built longer to fit your walls.

Moving into a new apartment: what do you measure before picking an L or a U?

Ask the building for the floor plan, or wait for the keys, before you choose between an L and a U.
Walk the route from the entrance to the room: the longest seat piece is 75 in (190 cm), vacuum-packed and boxed, so the elevator and the stairwell turns are the narrow points.
Mark heaters, outlets and window sills on the sketch, because backrests stand 16 in (40 cm) tall.
Send feet, inches or meters with a labeled sketch and a short video of the room.

A 181 in (460 cm) wall takes three seats of the same length, about 60 in (153 cm), because two seats would each pass 75 in (190 cm). On an L the second run of a 118 in (300 cm) wall seats 91 in (230 cm), since one seat depth, about 27.5 in (70 cm), goes to the corner.

About 18.6% of homes in the Seattle metro sit in buildings of 20 or more units, so a straight run or a short L often comes before a U.

How high should the seat sit: 8 in (20 cm) for floor living or 16 in (40 cm) for sofa height?

Floor seats come in four thicknesses, 4 in (10 cm), 8 in (20 cm), 12 in (30 cm) and 16 in (40 cm), and the thickness is the height you sit at. At 16 in (40 cm) the seat is level with a regular living-room sofa, and a raised majlis built on a wooden base gives 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) depending on the model.

Washington State, not Washington, D.C.: where does this page apply?

The housing, weather and community figures here describe Washington State, from Seattle and Tacoma apartments to houses well outside the metro. Portland and Vancouver sit on opposite banks of the Columbia, and the Oregon side has its own Oregon majlis page. Washington, D.C. is a different market, so give the delivery ZIP code with your wall lengths and the quote is made for the right Washington.

What arrives, and why can tracking show 'partially delivered'?

An L usually travels in two or three boxes and a larger layout in more, so the boxes may land on different days. Every box gets its own tracking number, emailed once the order ships, which is why the status can read 'partially delivered' until the last box is in. The notes for each country are on our delivery page.

Seattle clock	Istanbul clock
9 a.m. in US summer	7 p.m. the same day
9 a.m. in US winter	8 p.m. the same day

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

Count the boxes against your order before you open a claim. If anything arrives damaged or missing, message us with photos as soon as you can and we'll put it right.

Arab, Somali and Afghan roots: what do Washington's census counts show?

The Census Bureau's ACS 5-year estimates list Lebanese, Iraqi and 'Other Arab' households, the line that includes Yemeni and Saudi families, among the state's largest Arab groups; Somali and Afghan neighbors are counted separately.

Place	What the figures show	Source
Washington	Arab ancestry reported by about 40,400 residents, about 0.5% of the state	ACS 5-year
Washington	Middle Eastern or North African, alone or in combination: about 63,500, or 0.8%	2020 Census
Washington	Lebanese about 8,800, Other Arab about 7,700, Iraqi about 6,300	ACS 5-year
Washington	Somali about 13,900 and Afghan about 9,400, counted separately	ACS 5-year
Seattle metro	Arab ancestry about 29,100 residents, roughly 72% of the state total	ACS 5-year, share derived
Washington	13.0% of homes in buildings of 20 or more units, and 18.6% in the Seattle metro	ACS 5-year

Seattle gets about 39 in (100 cm) of precipitation a year: how long is the terrace season?

NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals for Seattle show a January high near 48°F (9°C) and a July high near 77°F (25°C). Average highs sit between 64°F (18°C) and 90°F (32°C) only from May to September, so for most of the year the majlis is an indoor room and a terrace set gets five months.

For a terrace the fabric has to change: the outdoor range is water-repellent and mostly plain, while our regular upholstery fabrics are made for indoor rooms.

Single floor sofa in a brown, cream and red tulip ogee weave with box bolsters and a pillow on a wooden terrace above the water — A single floor sofa in a tulip ogee weave with box bolsters and a pillow on a wooden terrace.

Can a mosque or community center quote several rooms as one order?

Mosques, Islamic centers and community halls are among the groups we furnish with made-to-measure floor seating. A hall that also holds a café corner and study rooms can be listed room by room: wall lengths, number of sets and fabric for each. Seating fabrics chosen to sit well with the prayer-hall carpet give every room one anchor color. Our commercial seating page lists the venues and what a brief should include.

Ask us about freight options for large and commercial orders.

Local questions

Our sitting room is small, about 154 in (391 cm) by 90 in (229 cm). What size and height of majlis fits?

A low L suits a room that size. Stop the long run short of the wall, for example at about 120 in (305 cm) on the 154 in (391 cm) wall, so a side table has space, and keep the seat near 8 in (20 cm) so the room stays open.

Can the base be wood, with foam seat and back cushions but no wooden backrest?

A custom majlis can be built on a wooden base only, with foam seat cushions and foam backrests, so no timber stands behind your back. A wooden base measures 14.5 in (37 cm) to 16 in (40 cm) from the floor depending on the model.

Do the small tables, rug and curtains come with the seating?

A custom majlis quote covers the seat cushions, backrests, armrests and matching pillows. Tables, rugs, ottomans and curtains are add-ons; for curtains and a room-size rug, send the window and floor measurements with the wall lengths so each piece is cut to match.

Is the foam included, or does it have to be bought separately?

Covers and foam come together: each cover is zipped around its foam insert, so nothing needs stuffing, and the quote shows the thickness of each piece.