The majlis

The majlis is built for gathering, which makes it one of the harder rooms to style. It has to work when full and still feel composed when empty, and its scale tends to defeat furniture arrangements borrowed from smaller living rooms.

These notes cover lighting a majlis in layers rather than from a single ceiling fixture, using scent so it carries across a large cooled space without becoming heavy, and choosing textures — cotton, wood, ceramic — that keep a generous room feeling warm. We also look at storage that keeps cushions and textiles close at hand without cluttering the perimeter, and at how to reset the room quickly between gatherings.