Do I Need An Ottoman For My Couch?

In this article, we are tackling an oft-overlooked facet of the furniture shopping experience: the ottoman.

People’s living rooms and dens are as unique as their personalities, and we at Fireside Furniture love helping people express themselves by finding a lovely couch (such as this coil spring comfort sofa set) or that perfect entertainment center (such as this farmhouse wall system). But as you are designing your own unique living room, one of the questions that may arise is, “do I need an ottoman for my couch?”

An ottoman can make a great addition to many living rooms, dens, and family rooms, acting as sort of an extension of your couch or chair, and giving your added comfort when you need it. But at some point you will have to ask yourself, do you need one?

What is An Ottoman?

Ottomans come in many different shapes and sizes, but for the most part they function as an extension of your couch or chair that can be used as a foot stool, or in some cases, a table. In fact, some ottomans have storage built in as well, increasing their functionality even further.

The reason that an ottoman can be considered an extension of another piece of furniture, rather than as part of it (say, for example, a couch, or an easy chair), is that although it’s not physically connected to the main piece, ottomans are typically made of the same material, and presented in the same style. For example, a studded leather couch will often have a studded leather ottoman.

While some ottomans are the same height as the seat of the couch or chair that they are paired with, others are smaller, and may come with accessories that allow them to function as a sort of coffee table, or they may have the ability to split into multiple ottomans.

The Benefit of An Ottoman

As you can see, an ottoman is a very versatile piece of furniture. (According to this article, the piece actually comes from the Ottoman Empire!) Having a footstool handy is always great, but having one that distinctly matches your couch or chair is even better, from an aesthetic standpoint.

In addition, an ottoman can serve as a stand alone seating apparatus as well in most cases, making it a great choice when you have company and run out of seating spaces on your couch and chairs. Cats also seem to really love laying about on ottomans, making it great for them; that is, if you don’t mind having cats on your furniture, of course (read more about pets and furniture here).

The Drawbacks of An Ottomans

There aren’t many cons for ottomans due to their versatile nature, other than the size and footprint they take up. One thing to consider is the fact that they are larger than a traditional footstool, and because of this they aren’t as easy to store if you want to remove them from your living room or den. While most ottomans come with wheels on the bottom for easy maneuvering, their large size can be cumbersome in some situations depending on what you’re trying to do with them.

In addition, you must consider the overall square footage you have in your den or family room. Ottomans can make a small space feel very crowded very quickly. However, if you have the room to spare, then this shouldn’t be an issue at all.

Can I Get An Ottoman That Doesn’t Match My Sofa?

You can certainly get an ottoman that doesn’t match your sofa, if you want. As previously mentioned, you can get one that matches a chair or recliner if you would like. Or if for some reason you want an ottoman that’s 100% distinct from anything else in the room, nothing is stopping you from getting one like that. It’s all a matter of preference and aesthetic choice.

Most of our sofa sets here at Fireside Furniture come with an ottoman that is made of the same material as the sofa itself. But you can always mix and match colors, patterns, and even fabrics to add some variety to your room! If you want to read more about some of the different styles we carry, check out this article on our blog.

Next Steps

The great thing about ottomans is that they come in all shapes and sizes, giving you plenty of options when it comes to picking one that you’ll be sure to love. Just remember that ottomans are as practical as they are stylish, so take that into account, and consider what you want to use your ottoman for before making a purchase. Do you need storage? Foot space? Will you be reclining every Sunday to watch the game? This will help you to get an ottoman that’s both useful, and good looking.

And when you’re ready to pick one out, come on down to the massive Fireside Furniture showroom at 695 Route 23 South in Pompton Plains, New Jersey.