For a majlis sofa in Christchurch, order a made-to-measure set from Sofhu, a manufacturer in Türkiye that ships free to New Zealand. Send your wall measurements and choose a raised majlis or a low floor sofa. For frosty Canterbury winters, pick velvet, chenille or suede-look covers over 32 kg/m³ high-density foam, and lay a rug under a floor sofa to keep the seat off a cold floor.
- Built by
- Sofhu, manufacturer in Türkiye
- Made to
- Your wall measurements
- Winter covers
- Velvet, chenille, suede-look
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS), thickness selectable
- Shipping
- Free to Christchurch
- Washing
- Zippered covers, 30°C machine wash
On this page
On a July evening in Christchurch, with frost forecast and the curtains drawn, the best seat in the house is a low one: a rug underfoot, a firm cushion, a backrest against the wall and a pot of tea within reach. An Arabic floor sofa gives a Christchurch home exactly that room, and a majlis sofa gives the same warmth raised to sofa height. Sofhu makes both, each set built in Türkiye to your measurements and ships it free to your door.
There are two ways to build that room. The Arabic floor sofa is the low one, a seat mattress near the floor with loose back cushions, an ottoman and floor pillows. The Arabic majlis, shown at the top of this page, is raised to sofa height on an upholstered base, with fixed backs and arm bolsters. Sofhu makes both, and a cold climate is a fair reason to weigh them against each other.
Warm covers for frosty winters
Christchurch is cooler than the northern cities, and winter mornings are often frosty. The cover is the part of the set you feel, so it deserves the first decision.
| Fabric | How it feels | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Velvet | Soft pile, warm to the touch | Sofhu calls it durable and easy to clean |
| Chenille | Textured weave, warm | Very low shedding |
| Suede-look | Smooth and snug | Described by Sofhu as suited to autumn and winter |
| Linen | Cool and breathable | Better for a sunny room used mostly in summer |
All of them come as zippered covers that can be removed and, as Sofhu states, machine washed at 30°C. The existing page on velvet floor sofas shows the velvet range, and velvet vs linen vs jacquard compares the three main choices.
The families who gather this way
Christchurch has the South Island’s largest Muslim community. It includes families of Afghan, Somali, Syrian and South Asian background, among others.
Each of these traditions has its own furniture. The Afghan guest room is laid with the toshak, a long mattress used for sitting by day and sleeping by night, with a bolster called a balesht behind. In an Afghan winter the family gathers on toshaks around the sandali, a low table under a quilt, which is a habit that makes good sense in Canterbury too. Our Afghan toshak page explains how Sofhu builds that style. Syrian families can turn to Syrian and Levantine Arabic seating, and the broader tradition is set out under jalsa majlis sets.
Keeping the seat off a cold floor
A floor sofa sits directly on the floor, which is its charm and, in a cold house, its one weakness. There are three ways to deal with it.
- Lay a rug first. A rug under the front of the seating and across the centre takes the chill off timber or tile. Sofhu makes rugs to match its sets.
- Ask for a thicker cushion. Sofhu offers different cushion thicknesses. A deeper seat puts more foam between you and the floor and is easier to rise from.
- Choose a raised seat. A majlis sofa sits at sofa height on its upholstered base. Sofhu also builds wooden-frame sets, where the cushions rest on a bench, as in the photo below. Either lifts the seat and suits older guests who find the floor hard on the knees.
The comparison of floor seating and the raised diwan weighs the two approaches.
Arabic majlis layouts for Christchurch rooms
Floor sofas are not freestanding. The backrests lean on the wall, so the layout follows the walls you have. A single row fits under a window or along the wall of a spare room. An L-shape uses one corner and leaves the door side open. A U-shape lines three walls and turns the whole room into a majlis for Eid, a wedding week or a houseful of relatives.
Mark heaters on your sketch as carefully as doors. A run of seating should stop short of a log burner, a panel heater or the indoor unit of a heat pump. The main Arabic majlis guide describes the sets in full.
Foam that keeps its shape
Under the cover is 32 kg/m³ polyurethane foam, or 32 DNS in Turkish trade terms. One cubic metre of it weighs about 32 kg. That is a density figure, and it matters because denser foam generally holds its height and support better over the years than light foam. How hard the seat feels is a separate choice, and you can ask for it softer or firmer. The cushions contain no springs.
Sending your measurements from Christchurch
Sofhu prices each set from the room, so begin with a tape measure and a phone camera. Measure every wall that will carry seating at floor level, note the doors, windows and heaters, and photograph the room from the doorway. Add the layout you have in mind and the colours you like.
Send it through get a quote by measurement or on WhatsApp. The finished set is vacuum packed and shipped free. Duties or taxes may apply depending on the destination, so ask how a New Zealand order is handled, and read importing a majlis to Australia and New Zealand. For the national overview see Arabic sofas in New Zealand, and for the North Island see the Auckland page.
