An ottoman or footstool is a good deal more than solely an item of furniture: it provides an abundance of uses, for example a storage area, seating, or maybe just somewhere to rest your feet. Its maneuverability enables you to move it wherever you want in the house whenever needed. Nowadays, plenty of individuals are deciding to move to a smaller home, and occasionally there simply isn’t a lot of room for huge settees and oversized chairs. Smaller rooms tend to seem cluttered very quickly, but a great way to add extra seating is having a footstool or ottoman. When you put your existing sofa and armchairs around the ottoman can be used as a coffee table. Many ottomans are sumptuously upholstered, so if you plan on using it as a place for putting drinks, you may want to take advantage of a couple of trays on the top, just in case something gets knocked over.

If the upholstery of your current furniture is a solid colour, choose a vividly patterned ottoman; on the other hand, if if your couch is multicoloured, go for an ottoman with a solid colour. This is the perfect way of making sure that the furniture doesn’t clash. Just make sure that the ottoman isn’t too large for your space. You have to have the ability to walk through your room with no trouble. A good idea is to ensure that you have a minimum of 2 feet of space between your seating and your ottoman. With this amount of space it is close to place food and beverages on, but allows adequate space to move around it easily. A lovely idea is to use an ottoman as a window seat. Because it is backless it gives you an unimpeded view out of your window. Put a few comfy cushions on your ottoman, and you have a lovely area to sit on a lazy day.

Storage ottomans are useful in addition to being an attractive item of furniture. They can store blankets in a bedroom, magazines or books in a living room, or toys in a family room. Anyone who’s had last minute guests will be well aware of the advantages of being able to hurriedly hide things at a moment’s notice, and an ottoman is the perfect solution for putting your everyday items out of sight. Open it up – throw everything inside, and presto! A clean room!

Who doesn’t want to put their feet up after a busy workday, and what better way than with a stylish footstool? Available in any type of upholstery, you could buy a footstool that matches your existing furniture or even choose an item that is a little different, serving as a focal point. A footstool made of leather gives a modern ambience to a room, whereas a footstool with material upholstery, in particular one that features a tapestry pattern, will create a traditional look. If you run a home office and spend a lot of time seated at a desk, a great idea is to keep a low footstool under the desk so you are able to raise up your feet – this really helps to alleviate leg strain.

Footstools and ottomans are available in various a variety of sizes and shapes that will look good in any room. A simple footstool can be the size of a side table, while some ottomans can be equal in length to your sofa. It’s just a case of picking an item that works with your living space. Also take into account if it will be used on a daily basis, or you simply want it to be an eye-catching piece of furniture. A footstool or ottoman that gets regular use should be upholstered in a tough material that is simple to keep clean, for example leather or chenille, while something that doesn’t get used a lot could be covered in a sumptuous velvet or suede. Just like all upholstered furnishings, don’t forget to be careful when cleaning. Before attempting to clean it, check what type of cleaner to use depending on the upholstery, and if you have any doubts – use a professional!

Madeleine I Hall has worked within the furniture industry for several years offering tips and suggestions with regards to selecting a footstool at our website www.footstools2u.co.uk