sittiing pretty: a guide to ottomans and footstools

It is time to put your feet up before the next round of holiday celebrations. How do you choose the perfect style for your comfort that complements your decor?

The Classic Rectangle

If you want a subtle blend with the decor, go for the classic rectangle in the same fabric, like this one from Wesley Hall. Choose an ottoman about 4 inches wider than the seat cushion and about the same depth. A 22-inch-wide seat cushion with a 20-inch seating depth will need an ottoman that is 24 x 20. The height should be just below the height of the chair seat. Make sure to take the compression of the seat cushion into consideration when seated. You do not want your feet up too high.

In many rooms, I like to use ottomans as an exciting accent so I mix the shapes, styles or patterns. We placed a fun Quadrille Fabrics print on this one.

Non-Traditional Foot Stools

Here, we mixed it up with a non-traditional shape and a funky knit textured Jaipur Living ottoman. Choose something like this when you want to bring accent colors or additional visual interest to a room.

The same ottomans make a great perch to sit on too! They can turn your coffee table into a game table.

spill-proof Ottomans

Dirty feet and shoes and the occasional beverage will be placed on these. Here we used Wesley Hall leather ottomans, which can handle the dirty boots and be cleaned easily, even in a light shade!

Indoor/outdoor fabrics or washable slipcovers are a great choice, too. Here we mixed shapes and patterns in the Pindler fabrics slipcovers. And, if preferences change, the slipcovers can change, too.