The Best Ottoman

The ottoman is an accent piece that can complement the interior design in most rooms of your home. Today’s ottoman has evolved from the plush footstools from 18th century France that were appropriated from Egypt, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. French fondness for the padded footstool spread across Europe with designs featuring luxurious fabric with various embellishments. These were intended as low stools and foot rests, many of which sat directly on the floor. The ottoman in today’s interior design world incorporates other functions.

Functions of the Modern Ottoman

The ottoman is a versatile piece of furniture that is used for various purposes, depending on the design and materials used. It comes in many shapes, sizes and configurations.

Footstool or foot rest – Typically made from the same material as the couch or chair, the ottoman as a foot rest is soft and plush.

Extra seating – The ottoman can function as a low backless seat for the sphere-shaped ones or as a bench seat for the rectangular pieces.

Coffee table – The padded top can accommodate a tray or a glass top that turns the ottoman into a center table. In some designs, the padded top can be flipped over and positioned over the trunk to provide a sturdy and stable surface for drinks, books and other items.

Storage chest – Designed with a hollow interior, the ottoman can serve as a storage receptacle to make cleanup and organizing easier. The top of the ottoman can be hinged, swiveled or lifted up completely to allow access the hollow interior that can be used to stow bedding in the guest room, towels in the bathroom or throw pillow in the living room.

Hide-a-bed – Larger ottomans can accommodate a folding bedframe and mattress for easy conversion to a twin bed for overnight guest.

Bench – With the right dimensions, the ottoman can be used as a bedroom or dressing room bench for putting on your shoes, holding clothing or fresh bedding and extra storage for anything.
Multifunction ottoman – Some ottoman designs cover several of these functions in one unit. An ottoman can be used in many ways in different areas of the house.

Features to Consider when Choosing an Ottoman

Given the wide range of designs, it is likely that you will find an ottoman that will complement your room décor while serving a functional purpose.

Style

Style has a lot to do with the shape of the ottoman.

• Round ottoman: A round ottoman may be the perfect foot rest if it was designed as a fiber-filled sphere with enough padding and a soft cover. It provides an interesting counterpoint in a room that is dominated by angles and grids. It can also be used as a center table/focal point for a small conversation area. Many of the designs are hollow to provide storage for various items.

• Cube or square-ish ottoman: Use this ottoman alone as a foot rest or side table. Use a set of similar cube-shaped ottoman to create a unique grouping that becomes a coffee table or bench that can be pulled apart for other uses in the family room, living room or patio.
• Rectangular ottoman: The rectangular ottoman is finding new uses as a bench in bedrooms, dressing and makeup rooms, bathrooms and children’s rooms. The hollow interior can be used as convenient storage, but be sure that the top is non-locking and easily lifted when used in areas where children have access to the ottoman. It can also be used as a coffee table and storage unit especially when the design includes removable interior trays that are helpful for keeping remotes and other small items organized.
• Vintage and futuristic-inspired ottoman designs: A vintage ottoman reflects the influence of Middle Eastern and French designers. These are the overstuffed round ottomans with intricate accents that are still used as foot rests or floor pillows. Futuristic ottomans have padded tops that sit on a decorative metal or wood base.

Materials

The creativity of furniture designers is on display in today’s ottoman collection.

• Fabric covering – Fabric remains the most popular type of upholstery material for ottomans. Make sure that the fabric covering is fade-resistant and tear-proof for longevity. With the way it is used, an ottoman can show the signs of wear and tear very quickly.
• Leather covering – Whether the ottoman features real or faux leather, make sure that the material is fuss free. You should not have to keep specialty cleaning compounds to keep your ottoman clean. Leather is durable and elegant. You can choose a leather covering that is similar to that of your couch or one that contrasts with your color theme to create a unique accent piece.
• Padding – Memory foam is the padding of choice in many ottoman designs. It is fairly lightweight yet soft enough to provide a comfortable seat or foot rest. Vintage ottomans may use fiber or poly-fiber for stuffing.
• Lid style – For ottoman styles that offer storage, pay attention to the design of the lid. In rectangular ottomans, the lid or top could be hinged on one side so that the top lifts diagonally for access to the storage. Cube and round-shaped ottomans typically have non-hinged lids that need to be lifted off completely to access the storage area. An ottoman designated for children’s rooms should use non-hinged and non-locking lids only.

• Tufting – Tufting keeps the foam pad or fiber filling from shifting or bunching in places that are subjected to a weight and pressure, which is what happens to your ottoman after repeated use. Tufting creates and secures the padding into smaller sections. Button-tufted ottomans look classier and more elegant although they may not be the most practical choice of coffee table or tray table ottomans.

Shopping Tips

Take accurate measurements of the space you have for the ottoman, the furniture pieces that will surround this ottoman and the ottoman itself. The ideal height of the ottoman will vary depending on how you intend to use it.
Ottomans are not usually heavy pieces, but those destined for storage should have a durable base to accommodate the weight of books, toys and décor that you might want to store. Consider an ottoman on casters, which will make it easier to move the item through your house.
The ottoman may seem like a nondescript furniture item, but it has a lot to offer in terms of additional seating and storage options. As an accent piece, make sure to take advantage of different ottoman styles to complete your design theme or to give traditional rooms a pop of color, texture or focal point.

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This page about Ottoman was composed by V. Tobies and published by Alternative.me.
It was last updated on 2025-12-17 08:14:41 and has been viewed 5640 times.