Happy New Year! While thinking about a topic for the first post of 2016, I am reminded of how we are sometimes presented with the necessity of providing extra seating for guests at times such as the holidays or a party, beyond what you usually have in your home. There is of course the old stand-by folding chair, but I am talking about a more creative, comfortable and customized approach to your existing furniture layout…..in other words…we can do better than the folded chair.
Consider the ottoman:
At first glance, in the world of furnishings, it ranks rather low and does not always get its fair due of design accolades; but, in fact, the ottoman is a versatile opportunity to bring additional patterns and colors to your existing room design. It does not 
require you to completely ditch your current setup and there are endless design options to utilize in creating the perfect ottoman for your space.
Some of the more common types of ottomans include:
- fully upholstered with or without trim
- upholstered with wood
- slip-covered
- storage w/removable or hinged top
- round, square, rectangular, hexagon, triangular, oval & other desired shapes
Ottomans are used for more than just seating. We are often used to seeing
them paired with a lounge chair but they can double as a large single cocktail table; or you can place several smaller ones grouped together. It is very common in a commercial or hospitality setting to use several single drum shaped ottomans as cocktail tables and an alternative to additional seating. Like I said…versatile!
If you are looking to do just one simple thing to change up your existing look, a fun DIY would be to refurbish your existing wood cocktail/coffee table by adding a padded material and fabric to the top. 
Consider adding a pair of ottomans under a credenza or cocktail table to increase your seating and give your current space a mini design makeover!
Ottomans are a small but well used tool of designers to help pull together a color scheme while addressing seating requirements for a project. Look around your living room, family room or even your bedroom to see where you can easily add a pair of ottomans and enjoy all the decorative and functional benefits they provide.
For help with all your design needs call us at 856.269.0707 or email [email protected].
