A majlis sofa for a Minneapolis home is made to order. Sofhu, a manufacturer in Türkiye, builds raised Arabic majlis sets and low Somali-style floor sofas to the wall measurements of your living room, with 32 kg/m³ high-density foam and removable washable covers suited to a long winter indoors, and ships it free to Minnesota. Matching rugs and curtains can be added.
- Style
- Somali and Arabic floor seating, wall to wall
- Made by
- Sofhu, manufacturer in Türkiye
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS), no springs
- Matching pieces
- Rug, curtains, ottoman, floor cushions
- Covers
- Zippered, machine washable at 30 degrees
- Shipping to Minnesota
- Free
- In the Somali malls
- No. Ordered direct from the maker
On this page
The living room comes first. In many Somali homes in Minneapolis it is furnished the same way: low seating around the walls, a rug in the middle, space for whoever comes through the door. If that is the room you want, a majlis sofa in Minneapolis is best ordered to the exact size of your walls. Sofhu makes it in Türkiye, as a low floor sofa or as a raised Arabic majlis, and ships it free.
Somali floor seating in Minneapolis homes
Minneapolis has the largest Somali community in the United States. Its heart is Cedar-Riverside, often called Little Mogadishu, and the Somali malls of south Minneapolis are its best-known shopping places.
The seating in these homes belongs to the wider Arabic tradition of the majlis: mattresses on the floor, backrests against the wall, armrests between sitters. Sofhu’s guide to Somali Arabic seating looks at the style, and the Arabic jalsa page explains the set itself. Sofhu does not claim to know your family’s taste better than you do. It builds what you specify.
It builds two products. An Arabic floor sofa is the low set described above: a seat mattress at floor level, loose back cushions, armrest blocks and usually a matching ottoman. An Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height, with an upholstered base, tall fixed backs and arm bolsters. The cream and burgundy sets on this page are floor sofas, and the other velvet sets in the gallery are majlis sets.
What Sofhu makes for a Minneapolis living room
A set is assembled from separate parts, and you choose how many of each:
- Seat mattresses, cut to your wall lengths, in a single row, an L-shape or a U-shape.
- Backrests that lean against the wall. The seating is not freestanding.
- Armrests, placed at the ends and between seats where you want them.
- Loose cushions, and floor cushions for children or extra guests.
- Rug, curtains and ottoman, if you want the whole room to match.
The cream and burgundy set at the top of the page shows a full U with a plain cream rug. Here is the same design as an L-shape with a rug and an ottoman used as a table:
The Arabic floor sofa hub shows more layouts and colours.
A set for a Minnesota winter
Winters here are severe, and for months family life happens indoors. Three choices make a floor set comfortable through it.
Dense foam. Sofhu uses 32 kg/m³ high-density polyurethane foam with no springs. Denser foam generally keeps its height and support longer, which matters when the seating is used all day, every day, for half the year.
Warm fabric. Velvet and chenille feel warm to the touch and wear well. Linen is breathable and better kept for a summer room. The comparison of velvet, linen and jacquard goes into detail.
A rug base. Put a rug or carpet under the mattresses as well as in the centre. It keeps the cold of the floor away from the seat. See what size rug goes with a majlis.
The grey velvet set above is a raised majlis, which lifts the seat clear of the floor altogether.
Covers are zippered and removable, and can be machine washed at 30 degrees. In a season of snow boots, tea and children indoors, that is not a small thing.
Apartment or house
The planning differs with the home. In an apartment, the living room usually has one long wall, a window wall and an opening to the kitchen, so an L-shape is the natural fit, and the modular parcels travel easily in a lift or up a stair. In a house with a separate living room or a finished basement, a U-shape on three walls seats far more guests for Eid or a family gathering.
Either way, keep heaters, vents and the balcony or patio door clear, and mark them on your sketch.
Not a mall purchase: how ordering works
Sofhu has no shop in Minneapolis and does not sell through local stores. You order from the manufacturer:
- Measure each wall at floor level and note doors, heaters and windows.
- Choose a layout and the colours you like.
- Send these with a photo of the room.
- Agree the fabric and quote by WhatsApp or video call.
The set is then made, vacuum packed and shipped free to your address. Duties or taxes may apply depending on the destination, so ask Sofhu beforehand. The full process is described in how to order a custom majlis online.
Looking for an Afghan toshak
Afghan families in the state often search for a toshak, which is a thinner mattress used for sitting and sleeping. That is covered on the existing Minnesota Afghan toshak page and in the Afghan toshak style guide. For a Somali or Arabic set in Minneapolis, get a quote by measurement.
