Footstools, Ottomans & Poufs

Ottoman Colors and Materials

An Ottoman is a versatile and flexible piece of furniture with multiple uses across your living room. It’s a freestanding piece that comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and materials, generally padded and upholstered and occasionally with a hollow centre for extra storage.

Use it as a centrepiece, a place to put your feet up and rest or move it to the side for some flexible extra seating. The versatility comes from the simplicity of its design, with a choice of styles and colors to match your existing suite or to add an element of contrast.

Ottomans come in a selection of materials including leather, fabric and distressed velvet, with both classic and bold color choices - from bright blues and yellows to neutral tones and earthy greens.

Style Choices for Ottomans

Despite being a relic of an ancient eastern empire, Ottomans straddle a range of design styles. It can look just as at home in a North African-themed living space as it can in a modern, contemporary living room. It’s all about a combination of design simplicity and functionality.

There are no hard and fast rules about the form your Ottoman should take. They tend to be overstuffed for that extra padded feel but can be round, square, rectangular with higher or lower profiles depending on your needs. Some designs have legs, others are formed by a large, padded base. This versatility of design makes it a valuable addition to any living space.

Accessorize with an Ottoman

Match your Ottoman to our range of sofas, armchairs and loveseats. Or make it a bold style statement with contrasting colour choices. Our selection of design styles, featuring padded fabric and leather options in a range of colors, mean there is an Ottoman for any home.

Complete your living room with a central footrest or occasional coffee table or turn an unused corner into a cosy spot to sit, read and relax. Place it to the side of your sofa as a versatile side table doubling up as extra living seating. You can even use our Ottomans to turn an ordinary seating area into a modular sofa with the movable Ottoman section creating even more relaxed living space. It’s all in our Ottoman US range.

FAQs

Why do we call it an Ottoman?

An Ottoman was originally a low type sofa with no arms, piled high with cushions and set against the walls of a room, used principally in the Ottoman Empire of Eastern Europe and the Middle East.

What is an Ottoman used for?

An Ottoman can be used as a centrepiece (as a kind of makeshift table), a place to put your feet up and rest or as flexible extra seating. It is a very versatile piece of furniture, which in part explains its ongoing popularity.

Can you sit on an Ottoman?

Ottomans generally have no arms or backs which makes them suitable as extra or short-term seating. Although placed against a wall and with cushions it can also be a longer-term seating option.