The Various Uses and Ways of Creating and Living with Ottomans

One of the enduring influences of the Turks still present up to these times are ottomans. The ottoman is neither a footstool, a chair, a bench nor a table but can be used for all such purposes! The Ottoman was named after the Ottoman Empire's Turkish armies in 1300s. The armies then brought these portable pieces of furniture with them while they were conquering parts of Europe and their neighboring countries. In the Victorian era, the English modified and embellished ottomans and placed them as mainstays in their parlors and sitting areas. This piece of furniture was initially made for relaxation. Today, these can almost instantly make a room elegant and stylish.

1. Functionality!

- A storage container for books
- A setup for kids and their toys
- Contain wine glasses or wine bottles
- Magazine collection
- Extra coffee cups or dishware storage
- Store DVD's
- Excellent table space for bowl of food or tv remote

2. Ottomans For Every Room

When deciding to buy an ottoman for the bedroom, playroom and family room, rectangular leather or an ottoman wicker would be the best option. For living areas and reception/entertainment areas in the house, place a large, round ottoman in the center of the room. This helps you create a conversation around the room. You can also opt for an ottoman coffee table to serve as a table when serving refreshments and snacks to your guests. For the bathroom and dressing a room, an ottoman, is bench-like in shape would be more appropriate.

3. Ottomans Go With Everything

Most of the time, ottomans are usually matched with chairs but these do not need to have the same style and color with the chair or with the surrounding upholstery or furniture. Matched pieces of furniture tend to be formal. If you want a more casual tone in the home, most decorating experts and interior decorators recommend home owners to feel free to mix and match styles on their furniture as long these coordinate with each other and are compatible. If you plan to use the ottoman as a coffee table, choose a piece of this furniture covered with leather. The fabric prevents coffee and other liquid to seep through the ottoman's cushion and makes cleaning easier. Avoid covering your ottoman with upholstery that is cream-colored or pure white.

4. Multifunctional

Ottomans function as footrests and having light-colored coverings will make it easy to get dirty if you forget to remove your shoes and place your feet there to rest. Ottomans covered with leather, as well as patterned fabrics, can also help disguise wear and tear in the furniture. Aside from setting trays of coffee and drinks on your ottoman, you can also use these as a table for stacking, with a tray beneath, books and accessories. You can also use this for your children to setup their toys and puzzles.

5. Ottoman Tips

- To make ottomans easier to move and more versatile, attach casters
- Basing on the size of the footstool you want, get a wooden box with the same size. This can either be bought in a craft or supply store or built from scratch
- Get a regular batting made of quilt and wrap the box with this. Use a staple gun to secure this. To wrap the quilt snugly around the corners without some excess bulk, cut the slits in these areas
- Using some upholstery fabric, cover the batting and staple it the same way as you did in the previous step
- Get a piece of plywood and cut a piece that will fit the top of the box
- Use this plywood piece to fashion out upholstery foam that is 3 inches thick of the same size
- Using a batting, wrap the plywood and foam together. After doing this, cover the two with a fabric
- Finally, using some hinges, attach the cover with the ottoman's bottom and you're done

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