Ottomans

Choosing an ottoman

An ottoman is the most flexible piece of furniture in the house: a footstool in front of the armchair, an extra seat when friends arrive, a coffee table with a tray on top, a bench at the end of the bed, a toy box with a lid. Because it does so many jobs, choose it for the job it will do most, then make sure it is comfortable to put your feet on.

Footstool, ottoman stool or long ottoman

A small round ottoman or ottoman stool, 40 to 60 cm across, sits in front of an armchair as a footstool, tucks under a console when not in use and pulls out as a spare seat. A square ottoman, 60 to 90 cm, matches a lounge range and sits at the end of a chaise or modular to extend it. A long ottoman or ottoman bench, 100 to 160 cm, runs along the foot of a bed, seats two in a hallway, or sits in front of a three-seater sofa as a soft coffee table. A large ottoman, 90 cm or more square, is the centrepiece of a family room: the coffee table nobody bangs a shin on, with a tray for the drinks and room for feet all around.

Height and comfort

An ottoman you put your feet on should be a little lower than the seat of the chair or sofa in front of it, usually 38 to 45 cm, so your legs slope gently down. An ottoman used as a coffee table should be level with the seat, 40 to 48 cm, so a tray sits at the right height. Check the top: a firm, flat top takes a tray and a laptop; a deep, soft, feather-wrapped top is for feet and lounging. Tufted and buttoned tops hold their shape longest.

Storage ottomans

A storage ottoman with a lift-up lid hides throws, cushions, board games, toys and spare linen, and is the single most useful piece in a small living room or a child's room. Look for a hinged lid that stays open, a removable lid for the largest opening, and a fabric or leather that wipes clean. A storage ottoman at the end of a bed takes the extra blankets and the pillows you throw off at night.

Velvet, boucle, fabric or leather

Velvet ottomans bring colour and a formal note, and modern velvets are tougher than their reputation. Boucle ottomans have the soft, looped texture that suits curved armchairs and coastal rooms. Fabric ottomans in textured weaves hide marks and match most lounge ranges, and many are made in the same fabric as the lounge so the set reads as one. Leather and vegan-leather ottomans wipe clean and age well in a family room. A patterned or boldly coloured ottoman is the easiest way to put colour into a neutral room, because it is small enough to change your mind about.

Finishing the room

Put an ottoman in front of an armchair with a side table and a lamp to make a reading corner; match one to the lounge or modular to extend the chaise; run a long ottoman along the foot of a bed; or sit a large ottoman on a rug in place of a coffee table in a room with small children.

See them in a Perth showroom

The Furniture Gallery is WA owned and family run, with showrooms across Perth and regional WA. Put your feet up on the ottomans, lift the storage lids and compare the velvets and boucles beside the lounges on the floor. When you have chosen, add the ottoman to your cart and enter your postcode for a delivery price; our white-glove delivery team will unpack it and take the packaging away.