Outdoor Majlis Seating for Gardens, Terraces and Tents

What makes an outdoor majlis different

The majlis began outdoors. Before it was a room in a house it was a section of a goat-hair tent, with rugs on the ground and cushions to lean on around the coffee fire. Moving the seating back outside is a return, not a novelty.

What changes is the engineering. Indoors, a floor sofa leans on a plastered wall, sits on a dry floor and never sees weather. Outside, three things have to be solved:

• Something to lean against. Arabic floor sofas are not freestanding. The backrests need a wall or another hard surface behind them. A garden rarely has one where you want to sit.
• Water. Dew, a spilled tea glass, a short shower. Sofhu’s outdoor fabrics are described as water-resistant and able to handle light rain and moisture. That is not the same as leaving cushions out in a storm.
• Moving and storing. Outdoor seating gets carried in and out. Pieces must be light enough to lift and simple enough to stack.

Sofhu makes outdoor majlis seating in three forms that answer those points: wooden bench sets dressed with cushions, the folding Arabic sunbed, and floor sofa sets for terraces that do have a wall. All are made in Türkiye and shipped free worldwide.

A note on names, since Sofhu makes two indoor products. The Arabic majlis is the raised, fully upholstered set that lines a formal guest room, and it stays indoors. The Arabic floor sofa is the low set of floor cushions, and it is the one that moves out to a walled terrace. On this page “outdoor majlis” means the gathering place, and each piece of furniture is called by its own name.

Where an outdoor majlis goes

Each outdoor space asks for a different piece. The table gives the starting point.

Garden. On open grass a raised bench is the practical choice. The frame keeps the cushions off wet ground and gives the backrest its support. Two benches facing each other across a low table make a complete sitting area.

Covered terrace. A roof overhead widens your options. A floor sofa in an L-shape along the house wall works here exactly as it does indoors, with a kilim underneath.

Rooftop. Many roof terraces have a solid parapet, which is a ready-made back wall. Tell us its height so the backrests are planned to match.

Balcony. One row is normally enough. The guide to balcony, patio and rooftop majlis ideas goes through small layouts one by one.

Tent. See the section on tents below.

Bench sets, Arabic sunbeds and floor sofas

Wooden benches. The bench in our outdoor photographs has a turned-wood frame with seat, back and arm cushions in a red kilim pattern. Sofhu describes its outdoor frames as high-quality, handmade wood. A bench gives a raised seat, which suits older guests and anyone who finds it hard to get up from the floor.

The Arabic sunbed. This folding lounger is the nearest thing to a seat you can carry to the gathering. It is a padded mat in three panels that folds for carrying. A black metal stand props the top panel up as a backrest, so it needs no wall at all. Laid flat it is a lounger. Two of them facing each other across a tea table give you a sitting place for two, on a lawn, on a beach or in the desert.

Floor sofa sets. Where there is a solid wall, a made-to-measure floor sofa gives the most seats for the space. The Arabic floor sofa page explains the pieces. Sofhu’s own outdoor range is shown on the outdoor sofas, benches and mats page, and more photographs are in the outdoor majlis gallery.

Fabric and foam for outdoor use

Pick the fabric for the worst day the seating will face, not the best one.

• Open to the sky: use the outdoor fabrics. Sofhu states that spills wipe away easily and that they cope with light rain and moisture. Flat weaves and kilim patterns also hide dust.
• Roofed and dry: linen is a good choice in heat. Sofhu describes its linen as porous and refreshing in hot weather.
• Velvet: keep it for enclosed or fully covered spaces. Pile holds water and takes a long time to dry.

The comparison of velvet, linen and jacquard covers how each behaves in more detail.

Inside every cushion is 32 kg/m³ (32 DNS) high-density foam. Outdoors that brings two advantages. The cushions contain no springs, so there is no metal inside to rust. And denser foam generally keeps its height longer under the repeated loading and unloading that outdoor seating gets. Foam of any density will soak up water if it is left in rain, which is why the covers and your storage habits matter more than the filling.

All covers are zippered and removable, so a cover that catches a spill of saffron tea can come off and be cleaned on its own.

We do not publish a waterproof rating or a UV rating for any fabric. If your site is unusually harsh, such as a seafront or an unshaded roof in a Gulf summer, tell us and we will advise honestly on what to bring indoors.

Measuring a terrace, deck or tent

Outdoor measuring is simpler than indoor measuring, but people skip two things.

1. Measure the seating line, not the whole space. Record the length of each wall, parapet or deck edge the seating will follow.
2. Mark what interrupts it. Door swings, steps, drain covers, posts and barbecue space.
3. Note the back support. Wall, parapet, railing or nothing. Give the height of any parapet or sill.
4. Say what is overhead. Roof, pergola slats, awning or open sky. This decides the fabric.
5. Photograph it. One wide photo from each end tells us more than a paragraph.

For a tent, measure the inside floor and the height of the side walls, and mark the entrance. Then send everything through the quote by measurement form. If the space is an odd shape, the custom majlis page shows how awkward corners are handled.

A majlis in a tent

A tent majlis is the oldest form of the gathering. The Bedouin tent has a guest side where visitors are received, with rugs on the ground and cushions around the hearth, and its woven sadu bands in red, black and white are still the pattern most people picture. In Saudi Arabia families still use tents as a winter gathering place. The Bedouin majlis and sadu page tells that story properly.

For a garden tent, a Ramadan tent or a camp, the rules are practical ones. Put a groundsheet down first, then rugs, then the seating. Keep mattresses a hand’s width in from the tent wall so condensation does not wick into them. Use firm bolsters and armrests for leaning, or bench frames where guests need a real backrest.

Venues should read majlis seating for events, weddings and Ramadan tents and the guide to glamping tents and desert camps. Sofhu’s existing page on majlis for organizations and events covers larger orders.

Care through the seasons

Sun, rain and storage each need one habit.

Sun. Shade is the best protection for colour. Under open sky, turn and swap cushions every few weeks so they age evenly.

Rain. Carry cushions under cover before heavy rain. If one gets soaked, unzip the cover, stand the foam on its edge in moving air and let it dry right through before use.

Dust and sand. Brush or vacuum the covers rather than beating them. Wipe spills straight away.

Winter. In climates with frost or snow, treat the cushions as seasonal. Dry them, store them indoors and leave the bench frames under cover.

Ordering and shipping

Every outdoor set is made to order by Sofhu in Türkiye and delivered to your address with free shipping worldwide. Cushions are vacuum packed for transport and recover their shape once the bags are opened. Import duties or taxes may apply depending on your country, so ask before you order.

Buyers in the Gulf can also see the UAE and Saudi Arabia pages, and readers in the American north-west the Washington outdoor sets page. For Sofhu’s broader thinking on indoor and outdoor use, see seating for every environment. Arabic readers will find the same subject under جلسات خارجية.