When it’s time to kick back and put your feet up at the end of the day, one piece of furniture is essential: the footstool.
But the usefulness of a footstool, sometimes called an ottoman or pouffe, doesn’t end there. It’s a versatile piece of furniture that supports any number of activities.
“They’re very multifunctional,” said Renée DiSanto, a founder of Park & Oak, a Chicago-based interior design firm. “You could use it for seating, as a little coffee table or end table, or it could just be decorative.” Some footstools even have compartments inside to provide extra storage.
And much like a throw pillow, a footstool is small enough that it’s an ideal way to introduce an eye-catching material, shape or fabric to a room. “You can add color, texture and pattern, without it being too overwhelming,” Ms. DiSanto said, as it might be “if you put it on a sofa.”
Footstools, she added, “have a lot of impact for their small size.”
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How tall should it be? Compared to the seat height of a sofa or chair, “either the same height or a little bit lower is ideal,” Ms. DiSanto said.
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Is weight important? “You want to make sure that it’s sturdy enough you can sit on it,” she said, “but not so heavy that you can’t move it around.”
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Should it be cushioned? “Not always,” Ms. DiSanto said. “We’ve used wood stools and woven stools.”
Petite Moreno Ottoman
Walnut or oak footstool with cushioned top
From $975 at Lawson-Fenning: 323-934-0048 or lawsonfenning.com
Snoozer Cream Storage Ottoman
Footstool with storage compartment by Leanne Ford
$399 at Crate and Barrel: 800-967-6696 or crateandbarrel.com
Cooper Leather Stool
Folding wood stool with leather-sling top
$598 at Serena & Lily: 866-597-2742 or serenaandlily.com
Hemlock Pouf
Upholstered footstool with powder-coated steel frame
$195 at Industry West: 800-382-9303 or industrywest.com
Java Rattan Ottoman
Handcrafted rattan footstool from Indonesia
From $255 at the Citizenry: 866-356-4284 or the-citizenry.com
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