What you should know when decorating with ottomans

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?

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 would 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.

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. 

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, colours, 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.

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:

Add colour and brightness
Adding ottomans is an excellent way to infuse a pop of colour and brightness to an otherwise boring or dull-looking room. Selecting colours that pair nicely with other items in a room is key and this is only possible where an ottoman set comes in different stylish colours. 

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.

Source: architecturaldigest.com