Decorating with Ottomans: Everything You Should Know
When decorating and arranging furniture in living rooms, many of us stick to sofas, tables, chairs, wall arts, and other basic home décor accessories. We often overlook a rather incredible piece – an ottoman. An ottoman furniture can be the hidden gem or piece that completes the décor puzzle of a room. So, what is an ottoman, and why is it a fascinating furniture piece?
Read on to learn these and how they help to enhance the appearance of rooms.
What is an Ottoman?
An ottoman is a piece of furniture with neither arms nor back. It is a piece of versatile and multifunctional furniture for different types of spaces and rooms. Some users refer to them as footstools, others as hassocks and poufs. They help to switch things up and spice up the arrangement of an entire area.
Ottomans come in different sizes and shapes. While some ottomans are small and would fit into small rooms, there are oversized ottomans made specifically for large rooms. For shapes, you’d mostly find round ottomans and rectangular ottomans.
Ottomans sometimes come as upholstered low couches or little cushioned seats that can be used as stools, fireside seats, small tables, or stand-in coffee tables.
Some ottomans with lids or inner hollows are used as storage spaces for linen, magazines, and other light items.
Nonetheless, smaller ottomans without adjustable lids make excellent footrests. You can place them close to an armchair as part of your living room furniture.
In general, ottoman furniture is very versatile and can conveniently take on a table form for items such as a coffee tray and mugs, snacks, and remote sets. Many ottomans are also used to supplement couches, center tables, and footrests. They are mostly found in the living rooms, family rooms, and sometimes bedrooms.
Different Sizes and Shapes of Ottomans
The size of an ottoman varies and often depends on the size of a room. They mostly come in cubic, square, round, and rectangular shapes. Ottomans with wooden frames covered with some sort of padding or cushioning are the most common. Let’s examine their peculiarities, quickly.
Rectangular Ottoman
Of all types of ottoman furniture, the rectangular ottomans are without a doubt, the most versatile. This is largely due to their large surface area and the number of items they can hold. Rectangle ottoman, like others, come in different sizes, colors, and designs.
They are suitable for storage spaces, extra seating, and stand-in coffee tables in the living room.
Round Ottoman
A round ottoman is made primarily for your family room or children playrooms. They often have hard or soft top layers and may also have storage spaces.
These are not as common as rectangular ottomans. However, you can use them to replace your coffee table as a unique centerpiece in the family room.
Square or Cubic Ottoman
These are also less common. However, the smaller square ottomans are more popular than the bigger ones due to their portable size and extra aesthetics they inject into your furniture arrangements.
Cubic ottomans are perfect as lounge chairs or footstools in the bedroom and playrooms. They fit into different room sizes and switch into different uses smoothly.
If you are looking for multipurpose ottomans, then, cubic/square ottomans are ideal. Shop for top-quality and stylish ottomans from Luxe Weavers’ rich collection. They come in different colors; they have removeable, washable covers and are stylish for any type of room or space.
10 Decorative Ways Ottomans Transform Any Space
Ottomans have since broken free from being mere footstools and have become an integral part of many home décor styles. Ottoman furniture adds uniqueness to any space and is now being used by decorators and interior designers in many interesting and creative ways. Ottomans help to:
- Create Focal Point
While area rugs usually act as focal points in many homes, luxurious ottoman furniture is now being used as the centerpiece/showstopper by many home decoration experts and the results are astonishing. From their tufted fabrics to exquisite suede ottomans, you can use this décor piece to create that “wow” effect in your home.
- Add Color and Brightness
Adding ottomans is an excellent way to infuse a pop of color and brightness to an otherwise boring or dull-looking room. Selecting colors that pair nicely with other items in a room is key and this is only possible where an ottoman set comes in different stylish colors. Thankfully the luxe Weavers collection of luxurious ottomans are styled with bright, trendy, and classic colors that instantly add excitement to any space.
- Create Contrast
Uncomplimentary contrasts are not ideal. But if you feel the scheme of your room seems one-directional, contrasting ottomans will create the magic. You can have your walls, furniture, floor, or rugs with the same theme but a little color contrast from your ottoman can make the room a lot more exciting.
- Add Visual Appeal & Interest
Ottomans are visually fascinating because of their shapes, designs, and geometric styling. Some ottomans form circles or some unique shapes when put together, while some can make 4 or more wedges of seating when separated. These are great visual appeals that transform the appearance of rooms.
- Create Shared Space Seating
As more houses and apartments are adopting the open floor plan that shares seating with more than one area, having seats that are movable and suitable in each section can be extremely vital. The versatility of ottomans can be a big advantage in this case as they can be used either as a seat or pulled together against a wall with pillows to form a couch.
- Store Items
Another function that justifies the versatility of ottomans is their storage options. Besides being used for other important purposes, you can use ottomans to store things like remote controls, magazines, children’s toys, movie CDs, game controllers, and other handy items.
- Serve as Coffee Table
A small table lower than your couch that sits beside or in front of your couch is called a coffee table. Ottomans are usually firm, sturdy, and are a perfect fit for coffee tables. You can place your drink tray (or magazines) on them without worries about spills.
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Manage Small Spaces Through Tuck-away Seating
If you happen to have a small room or apartment, this idea is an excellent and creative way to inject interest and function in your space without sacrificing too much space. Ottomans with rollers beneath them mostly play this role better as you can always move them whenever or wherever you need them. And when they're not needed, you can quickly tuck them under your table.
- Provide Pattern
The different pattern prints on ottoman cover fabrics can help inject life and flavor into your room's décor. Some very interesting patterns on ottomans include geometric shapes, floral designs, abstract arts, and so on. You can also create custom DIY covers for your ottomans to harmonize the décor theme in your home.
- Serve as Conventional Footrests
Tradition never dies, they say. We can never really exclude the primary purpose of an ottoman. Candidly, there are only a few things more exciting and comforting as taking an evening rest on an armchair with your feet stretched nicely on your ottoman. Traditional ottomans, besides being very high-end, are catchy.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ottomans
Is it bad to sit on an ottoman?
It’s absolutely fine to sit on your ottoman, provided your weight or size is within its weight capacity. One primary use of an ottoman is sitting, so it is not unusual to sit on an ottoman.
Where to put ottomans?
Ottoman is not only for resting or stretching our feet. They can serve several purposes at home if you would think of them as more than just footrests. Some of the places you can place your ottoman include the front of the fireplace, under a console table, beside a lounge chair, center of your living room, and so on.
Do ottomans have to match the chairs or sofa?
Many stores sell their sofas alongside ottomans that have similar colors and fabric designs. However, an ottoman doesn’t need to match the sofa or any of the other pieces of furniture in your room. Ottomans with distinct colors and patterns create amusing contrasts.
How do I choose an ottoman?
The best way to choose anything, ottoman inclusive, is to find out what you need it for, and then make your choice based on that. Most ottomans are used as footrests and storage spaces, while some are used as extra seating and coffee table replacements.
What to do with an extra ottoman?
Simply find another place for it in your home. If your living room can't take additional furniture, you can move an extra ottoman to the bedroom, children's play area, or find a place for it in your home office.
Final Thoughts
Ottomans are multifunctional and can be whatever you want them to be – footrests, coffee table replacements, storage spaces, or extra seats. Ottomans are versatile.
Cubic and rectangular ottomans are the most common due to their versatility and ease of movement or placement.
Since they are usually made with wood, have soft cushions at the top, and sometimes all over their bodies, they make great footrests and seats.
In a nutshell, there’s a whole lot you can do with your ottoman. If you don't have any yet or are looking to add more to those in your home, shop through the Luxe Weavers Ottomans collection for affordable and stylish ottomans right away.