Sunday, 8 September 2013

Arranging Your Ottoman

By Tom Bolton


Ottomans are remarkably flexible little pieces of furniture which can easily add the perfect finishing touch to a range of interior settings. Initially Turkish heritage furnishings, ottomans were initially introduced into Europe in the early eighteenth century during a period in which orientalism became extremely fashionable within the arts circles of Parisian society. Developed into opulent footstools and decorative cubes, ottomans became immediately popular with interior designers and furnishings manufacturers and have been a feature of our homes and residences since that time.

As it happens ottomans are rarely bought in situ but rather form part of a room set with sofas, chairs as well as other home accessories. Consequently, while the designs and types of ottomans vary significantly, they're almost constantly bought with a view to complementarity among the other items of furniture. Because of this, many people defer judgement to an interior designer or sales representative when choosing a suitable ottoman to combine with their household furnishings.

As a general rule, it is almost always recommended to harmonize both colours and fabric choices between ottomans, chairs and sofas as a way to achieve the best feasible result. After picking an acceptable colour-scheme the subsequent major consideration is the positioning of the ottoman which will then inform the size and style of the item. Typically speaking, should you be getting a corner unit or modular sofa with an L shaped arrangement in mind, it's advisable to opt for a sizable ottoman which can work as a coffee table or bench seating. For more classic sofa types or three piece room sets, its best to choose numerous smaller sized ottomans which might be placed adjacent to the centerpiece to act as a side table .

Positioning is extremely important when it comes to employing an ottoman to achieve the best achievable aesthetic impact. To highlight their ornamental appeal, you may want to situate ottomans in a light, open and spacious area of the room to highlight their stylistic contribution to the location. Alternatively, if you are far more concerned with accentuating the functional elegance of your living area, contemplate putting an ottoman closer to the larger pieces, enabling them to take on a supporting function as a magazine rack, footstool or supplementary seat. As opposed to other items of furniture, ottomans are incredibly straightforward to move, inviting users to engage with the item and reposition frequently so you may want to experiment with your room to be able to find the set up that works for you.

However you choose to position your ottoman footstool, be sure you take into account the interaction of the piece within the room setting and its exclusive contribution to the arrangement. Do not make the error of purchasing an ottoman which you decide on from the sofa showroom only to place it within an environment without supporting decoration. It's important to acknowledge that ottomans usually function best as primus inter pares alongside other home accessories including coffee tables, side tables, rugs and home lighting.




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