Making A Seating Statement: Ottomans Add Sculpture, Function And Personality To Any Room

When it comes to furniture, seating is queen.

Surely, neighboring categories — like tables, cabinets and beds — all play a vital role in daily life. We need them to share meals, hide our possessions and rest for the night. But ultimately, time and again, we find ourselves enveloped in our sumptuous, slipcovered sectionals, perched in our ergonomic office chairs, and lazing on our overstuffed chaises. (In fact, most of you readers are probably seated right now.)

That said, there’s one relative in this particular family that is all-too-often overlooked: the ottoman.

Ottomans — you guessed it — originated in the Ottoman Empire. Historically, they were constructed of a low wooden platform with pillows and cushions piled on top. In fact, rather than being placed in the middle of a room as they often are now, they would encircle a room’s edges much like a sectional does today. Over time, their form and function evolved, and there are now a bevy of shapes and sizes to choose from.

While there is no shortage of variations, it takes only a brief perusal of any interior design magazine today to see a subtle trend in plain sight: contemporary ottomans that are round and small, typically without storage.

And it makes sense. At a moment when consumers are spending more time and resources than ever before on home furnishing, these ottomans fill a perfect void. They are versatile, attractive, and complement existing items, especially in comparison to other secondary seats, like lounge chairs and daybeds. They are easy to maneuver and require minimal commitment. Relatively speaking, it also doesn’t hurt that they’re affordable.

On versatility, small ottomans can serve multiple purposes.

Primarily, they are purchased for use as occasional, short-term seats when the prime options — sofa, chairs and the like — fill up in a living room. Given the popularity of the Hamptons as a getaway destination, and the subsequent near impossibility of experiencing a shortage of potential guests, this comes in singular use out east. When a few too many friends or family members come to visit, what better way to make sure they feel included in after-dinner conversations than by providing an informal, additional seat or two around the coffee table?

Alternatively, when not in use as a seat, they can be pulled closer to larger seats and used as a footrest for added comfort. And when neither of those uses are needed, if construction allows, they can even serve as a temporarily landing pad for a cocktail or cell phone to be out of harm’s way.

In terms of rooms, while sitting areas in living areas are the most common habitats, certain dining spaces or entryways may also emit a siren song for this peculiar piece. For instance, breakfast rooms in the 21st century, for better or worse, frequently function as a human gas station to fuel up on caffeine and whatever fiber or protein bar is nearby. For the night owls among us, rather than pretend an early rise will occur and time will pass leisurely in the morning hours, pop down for a few minutes at the breakfast table on a modest, but padded, ottoman, check your email, ingest, and be on your way.

Or, when a foyer is just too generous in scale, a pairing of ottomans — with or without an entry table in center — serves as a perfect place to put on or take off shoes. For less dramatic entrances, a single or pair of ottomans layered partially beneath a console table bridges that same gap.

On attractiveness, ottomans are, in some ways, little sculptures.

Since they are generally in use only occasionally, the same rigor with which we apply our “must-haves” for larger purchases often fades away in favor of form. Rather than focus on stain-resistance, double rubs, or hours-long comfort, consumers value the vibe. While some ottomans are effectively drum shaped and either constitute a fully upholstered cylinder that dives straight into the floor, or stops short at a stout, metallic, recessed reveal, others are lifted a bit higher on legs or feet that come in a menagerie of woods, metals, and more. Because of this, the possibilities of ottomans are virtually limitless insofar as style is concerned: nary a room that cannot possess at least one.

On complementarity, ottomans are often the final piece of a mood board’s puzzle. With so many disparate items often contained in one fully designed space, they serve as grounding elements that can tie otherwise loose threads together. One well-known secret arguably used by most professionals is repetition: the intentional use of the same element two or more times, usually in a single space. Materials, colors, patterns and textures all apply. For example, the wood and its finish that comprise an end table can match the feet of an ottoman nearby. By echoing one or more of these qualities, ottomans serve a critical role in creating rhythm.

With winter coming to a much-needed end and warm, summer doors soon opening to family and friends, consider collecting a couple of new ottomans to recharge your East End home. They offer a practical, pleasing solution for gatherings both intimate and grand.