Ottomans in the Home

In case you missed it, Nanine Alexander in the Homes & Gardens section of The Oregonian on Feb. 16th writes about ottomans:

Ottomans, no longer content with supporting roles as footstools, are edging coffee tables offstage in Northwest living rooms. In fact, their fans are giving them the run of the entire house -- from living room to bedroom, foyer to dressing room.

Alexander offers Five Shopping Tips for Ottomans

Size matters. An ottoman paired with a chair should be no wider than the chair. An ottoman paired with a sofa should be no wider than the seating area.

Use butcher paper or newspaper to lay out the size of an ottoman's footprint on your floor so you can see how much space it will take up. Adjust your aspirations accordingly.

Upholstery. Fabric is better suited to ottomans used chiefly as seating. If you plan to use it as a coffee table or to rest your feet, look for fabric that resists spills and soils or have the fabric treated.

Leather is a good choice for durability. Leather that is dark, distressed or in a pebbled texture stands up especially well to wear, resists spill stains and ages well.

Tufts and buttons. Not the best choice if you have pets or children; the sunken buttons attract animal hair and cracker crumbs and can be close to impossible to clean. Buttons also can pull loose and are difficult to reattach.

Storage. Look for sturdy hinges and lids that are easy to lift.

In our home we recently switched from a two foot long ottoman for our feet and magazines to a transitional design, Sam Moore leather ottoman that is 42" X 28" and 18" high.

It is perfect for our feet, is big enough for a tray that can be used for hors dourves or magazines. We also trained Ralph the dog to stay off of it.

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery