Ottomans

An ottoman is the multi-purpose upholstered piece that works as a footstool, a coffee-table substitute (with a tray on top), an extra seat for visitors, and a hidden-storage piece (with a lift-lid). The format dominates the contemporary living-room market because one piece does what three pieces of traditional furniture used to. Andrew Martin, Aosom UK and Archiproducts UK between them stock 14,500+ ottomans covering £13-£9,695. Standard ottoman sizes run 60-80cm square (single-seat coffee-table substitute), 100-130cm rectangular (coffee-table size), and 150x80cm bench-style (foot-of-bed or window seat). Fabric matters: performance fabric (engineered to repel spills) is the family-pick; velvet is the trend pick; leather is the long-life pick. Storage ottomans (with lift-lids) earn their keep doubly, coffee table for daily use, blanket and toy storage hidden inside. Look for ottomans with caster wheels if the room layout shifts; without wheels, a 130cm ottoman lives where it lands.