A modern Arabic sofa keeps the traditional layout, seating along the wall around an open centre, and strips back the decoration: plain or tone-on-tone fabric, two or three colours, straight edges and little trim. Sofhu makes it two ways, as a low floor sofa with loose cushions or as a raised, upholstered majlis, to your wall measurements in beige, grey, black, olive and other solid shades.
- What defines it
- Traditional layout, pared-back fabric and detail
- Usual palette
- Beige, cream, grey, black, olive, muted green
- Fabrics
- Linen, chenille, matte velvet, plain woven
- Seat level
- Floor sofa at floor level, or raised majlis
- Foam
- 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) high-density foam
- Covers
- Zippered, removable, washable at 30°C
- Made
- To your wall measurements, in Türkiye
- Shipping
- Free worldwide
On this page
What makes a modern Arabic sofa modern is what has been taken away. The seat is still low and long. It still runs along the wall, with cushions to lean on and an armrest to rest an elbow. The centre of the room is still left open for the rug, the tray and the people. What goes is the layer on top: the dense pattern, the fringe, the five colours in one fabric.
That is why the style travels so well. A grey or beige set sits easily in a rented flat with white walls, and it still works as a majlis when the family arrives.
A modern Arabic sofa, defined
A modern majlis is a traditional layout in a restrained finish. Three choices do most of the work.
- One dominant colour. The seat, backs and armrests share a shade, or stay within one family of shades.
- Texture instead of pattern. The interest comes from the weave of linen or chenille, a quilted base or a line of piping, not from a printed motif.
- Straight lines. Square-edged cushions, flat bolsters and a level top line along the backrests.
Sofhu builds this look as two different products. An Arabic floor sofa is a low set of loose cushions: a seat mattress at floor level, back cushions and armrest blocks. An Arabic majlis is raised to sofa height, with a solid upholstered base and tall fixed backs. Both can be made plain, and this page shows both.
Nothing about this is foreign to the tradition. UNESCO describes the majlis as a large space with carpets on the floor and cushions against the wall. Plain cushions fit that description as well as ornate ones do.
What changes and what stays the same
| Element | Classic set | Modern set |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Along the walls, open centre | The same |
| Fabric | Patterned velvet or jacquard, several colours | Solid or tone-on-tone, matte |
| Trim | Tassels, fringe, wide braid | Slim piping or none |
| Armrests | Tall decorated bolsters | Low square blocks or plain bolsters |
| Loose pillows | Many, in contrasting prints | Few, in one accent shade |
| Rug | Matching patterned rug | Plain, textured or one large motif |
What does not change is the build. A minimal set uses the same 32 DNS foam, 32 kg per cubic metre, as any other Sofhu set. The covers are zippered, removable and washable at 30°C. The set is still made to your wall lengths, and a floor sofa still needs a wall behind it, because its back cushions are not freestanding.
You can also stop halfway. Many buyers keep one traditional element, such as a single band of sadu or medallion pattern along the backrests, and make everything else plain. The grey and gold floor sofa at the top of this page does exactly that: geometric pattern in two quiet colours, in an ordinary living room with wooden floors.
Colour palettes for a modern majlis
Beige, cream and sand. The easiest palette to live with and the one that makes a small room look larger. Add depth with a darker base or charcoal piping so the set does not blur into a pale wall. More in beige, cream and grey majlis ideas and the cream, beige and gold gallery.
Light grey and charcoal. Cooler and more urban. Grey seats on a black quilted base, as in the raised majlis below, are a modern majlis design that works well in apartments. See the black and grey majlis gallery.
Black with a line of gold. Formal and graphic. Keep the gold to piping or a narrow stripe. Ideas are collected in black and gold majlis ideas.
Olive, khaki and water green. For people who find neutrals flat. Muted greens behave like neutrals next to wood and plaster. The green and teal gallery shows the range.
If you are unsure, how to choose majlis colours starts from the floor and walls you already have.
Fabrics that give a contemporary finish
The fabric decides whether Arabic style sofas look current or dated more than the shape does.
- Linen. The most minimal option. Sofhu describes its linen as breathable, with a porous structure that feels fresh in hot weather. It suits warm climates and sunlit rooms. See the linen floor sofa page.
- Chenille. Soft, slightly ribbed and matte. The shedding rate is described as extremely low, which helps in a room used daily.
- Plain woven fabrics. Several of the woven series are described as non-wrinkling, so long seat cushions keep a neat surface.
- Solid velvet. Deeper colour and a warmer feel for cold climates. Choose a plain weave over a figured one. The velvet floor sofas page shows examples.
The full list of series is on the fabrics page, and velvet vs linen vs jacquard compares them for wear and care.
Minimal models and how to read them
Because every set is made to order, a “model” at Sofhu is a design to start from, not a fixed size. For a contemporary room there are five main directions, some floor sofas and some majlis sets.
The plain diwan. A single row or L in one pale fabric with an ottoman and a floor cushion, like the white Çırağan diwan pictured near the top of this page, whose cream damask only shows up close. It works as a modern floor sofa in a living room that also has a television and a bookshelf.
The two-tone set. A light seat on a dark quilted base, or the reverse. The base gives the set a visible bottom edge, which is what stops a plain floor set from looking like bedding.
The quiet pattern. Taupe, grey or beige with a tone-on-tone medallion or stripe, like the taupe floor sofa below.
The minimal toshak. The Afghan toshak is the simplest floor seat of all: a long mattress with loose back pillows and no fixed armrests. In a solid colour it is a minimal toshak in the literal sense. The Afghan toshak page explains the form.
The framed majlis. For a formal room, the carved-wood Turkish majlis line sits on a raised frame; its newest model is described in Sofhu’s new model Althahabi. It is richer than minimal, and suits a formal room in a contemporary villa.
Browse all layouts under Arabic sofa sets. Our post on French modern cushions shows a softer take on the plain look.
Pairing with a contemporary interior
Floors. Pale sets look best on wood or warm tile, where the floor supplies the colour. On a pale floor, choose a darker base or a rug with some weight.
Rug. One rug, sized so the seating frames it. Plain wool, a flat weave or a single large motif. Sizes are worked out in what size rug goes with a majlis.
Tables. Low and few. One ottoman with a tray or a pair of small side tables. Heights are covered in coffee tables for floor seating.
Light. Low seating wants low light. A floor lamp in the corner and one pendant over the centre do more than a ceiling full of spots.
Walls. Leave them quiet. One piece of calligraphy or a large photograph above the back row is enough.
Other furniture. A majlis does not have to own the room. Mixing a majlis with western furniture shows how to share a living room with a sofa and dining table, and a majlis in a small apartment covers tight plans. Our older posts on decoration tips and Arabic sofas as statement pieces add more ideas.
Ordering a custom modern build
A modern set is specified with a short list of decisions.
- Layout. Single row, L or U, from your wall measurements.
- Seat level. A floor sofa directly on the floor, a floor sofa with a thicker cushion, or a majlis on a raised upholstered base. Cushion thickness is offered in different options. The majlis seat height guide and floor seating vs raised diwan help you choose.
- Firmness. A softer or firmer foam can be requested.
- Fabric and colour. One solid, or a solid with a second shade for the base and piping.
- Detail. Piping or none, square or bolster armrests, how many loose pillows.
- Extras. Ottoman, floor cushions, rug and curtains to match, or none of them.
Send the wall lengths, a photo of the room and a picture of any interior you like. We plan the set around them, by video call with our designers if you want to talk it through. The custom majlis hub explains the process in full. When you are ready, get a quote by measurement or message us on WhatsApp. Shipping is free worldwide.
