The Ottoman Footstool and How it Became Popular in the UK

Mention the word Ottoman and one thinks of the Turks and the mighty Ottoman Empire. The humble ottoman footstool, so commonplace in British homes, has its genes in the ottoman furniture style that made its way from Turkey to Europe and onwards to the British Isles sometime around the 18^th century.

In their early iterations the Ottomans were seating furniture with plenty of cushions. Larger rooms would have two sides occupied by this type of furniture, forming an “L” shape for guests to sit and relax or even sleep on. They were more functional than beautiful. One could welcome a number of guests and if they stayed overnight, well, they could flop down on the ottomans and sleep like logs instead of being curled uncomfortably in couches.

When one refers to ottomans, one can talk about a folding type bed with a hinged top or a footstool. One of the avatars of the ottoman is a footstool with a cushion and four beautifully carved legs. One could use it as a footstool or a fireside seat or a pillow if you so felt inclined.  The design underwent mutations in the UK and one can buy a variety of ottoman footstools in various styles with typical British design overtones. It has become so commonplace that some people use the term “ottoman” and “footstool” interchangeably to mean one and the same thing.

If you belong to this category, you will find large ottomans and black ottomans in a range of fabrics and leather coverings, with or without exposed legs; with or without a hinged top and also shapes in square or round types to suit your taste. The ottoman is to your furniture what a puppy would be to your family: always there for you, endearing and useful as well as a source of comfort for poor, sore, tired feet. When you do buy an ottoman or a couple of them, make sure they have a nice flat top so that they can also double as coffee tables.

 Choose a nicely upholstered type in just the right height so you can stretch out and let your feet sink into the pampering softness of the cushion. Bespoke ottomans from footstoolsandmore.co.uk will be the perfect complement for your home: multi-functional and yet discreet companions who give but never ask for anything in return. Maybe you can clean them once in a while.