The Moroccan salon
Benches along the walls, firm mattresses, a low table in the middle: the sizes, the fabrics and how to fit one in a flat abroad.
The Moroccan salon is built to receive: everyone sits facing each other, and at night the benches become beds for guests. It works in a small flat as well as in a large house, if the sizes are right.
In short
- A bench (sedari) is a wooden base with a firm mattress on top and cushions against the wall.
- Usual sizes: 70 cm deep for a traditional salon, 60 cm for a narrower modern one, with the seat 40 to 45 cm from the floor.
- Count 60 cm of bench for each seated guest.
- Most workshops build every salon to the room, so made to measure costs little more than ready-made.
The parts and their names
- Sedari
- The wooden base, plain or carved, often with storage inside. Usually 25 to 30 cm high.
- Mattress (ponj)
- Firm foam, 15 to 20 cm thick, cut to the length of each bench. Firm foam keeps its shape; soft foam sags within two years.
- Back cushions
- Large firm cushions against the wall, about 45 to 50 cm high. Count one for every 70 cm or so.
- Bolsters and small cushions (khdadi)
- Armrests at the ends of each bench, and loose cushions for comfort and colour.
- Low table (mida)
- Round or square, 35 to 45 cm high, light enough to move when the benches become beds.
- Tlamet
- The fitted covers of the mattresses and cushions. A second set lets you change the room in ten minutes.
Measure the room
- Measure each wall you will use, from corner to corner, at seat height. Note doors, windows, radiators and sockets.
- Choose the shape: one wall, two walls in an L, or three walls in a U. Leave at least 80 cm free in front of a door.
- In a corner, only one bench runs to the wall. The other stops one bench depth short.
- Keep 40 to 50 cm between the bench and the edge of the table, so people can sit down and get out.
- Give the workshop your wall lengths and the position of the corners. A good one sends a drawing before cutting.
Salon calculator
Enter the walls you will use. The calculator gives the length of each bench and how many people it seats.
The count uses 60 cm per seated person and one back cushion for about 70 cm. A bench of 190 cm or more sleeps one adult. In a corner, only one bench runs to the wall.
Fabrics
- Brocade and woven jacquard, the classic look for celebrations: rich, but cool to sit on, and water marks it.
- Velvet (mobra): warm and comfortable, but it shows every crumb. Choose a short, dense pile.
- Cotton and linen blends: easy for daily life, washable covers, calmer colours.
- Stain-resistant or outdoor fabric: worth it with young children.
- Ask for zips on the covers of mattresses and cushions. Without zips, cleaning means calling the upholsterer.
- Fabric is usually 140 cm wide. The workshop tells you how many metres are needed; buy 10% more for later repairs, because the same batch is rarely found again.
In a flat abroad
- Check the lift and the staircase before ordering one long bench. Bases made in sections of 1 to 2 m go up any stairs and can be rearranged when you move.
- A depth of 60 cm instead of 70 saves 20 cm of floor in a room with benches on both sides.
- Radiators: leave 10 cm of air in front of them, or ask for a base with an open back.
- Storage inside the base takes the blankets and the second set of covers.
- A bench 70 cm deep and 190 cm long sleeps an adult.
- One wall of sedari with a sofa opposite works well when the room is also the family's television room.
Buying in Morocco or where you live
In Morocco, salon workshops are in every city; Salé, Fès, Meknès, Casablanca and Tétouan are known for them. Abroad, Moroccan salon makers work in most cities with a large community and build to the same sizes.
- Compare the same things: the wood of the base, the density of the foam, the fabric per metre, zips, delivery and fitting.
- Ask for the density of the foam. For a seat used every day, 30 kg per cubic metre or more keeps its shape.
- Shipping a salon from Morocco: the base travels flat or in sections. Foam is bulky and often cheaper to buy locally.
- Keep the receipt and a list of the pieces for customs.
Mistakes to avoid
- Ordering before measuring the door, the stairs and the lift.
- Benches too deep for a narrow room: two rows of 70 cm leave too little floor in a room under 3 m wide.
- Soft foam, because it feels good in the shop.
- A table too large or too heavy to move.
- A single set of covers in a pale colour, with children in the house.