All Propped Up And Sitting Pretty: Upholstered Ottomans, Footstools and Benches

Upholstered ottomans, footstools and benches are not merely an all propped up and sitting pretty home furnishings accent piece anymore.

Chinoiserie-upholstered-ottomanNew England Home

Now for a few words of ottoman wisdom from Jerry Seinfeld:

seinfeld

“I did this thing on the Ottoman Empire. Like, what was this? A whole empire based on putting your feet up?”

ottoman-New-England-HomePinterest

Style and taste answered the call from function, comfort and storage with a big hello, decoristas.  

I’m listening!  

There has been a palpable shift towards a broader use of upholstered ottomans, footstools and benches over the last few seasons and trends.  

Thank goodness the furniture designers and home furnishings world is answering the call with gorgeous offerings in a wide range of style, shape and fabric selections.  

Non-traditional placement accompanies this look with a blended balance starring pattern, color, form and the crucial decorative eye candy, the mixing of styles. 

DecorPad

A gorgeous first impression in your entry or foyer whets the appetite for the interior design and decorating curious.

Never discount the power of the small space nor the big statement these areas of the home are capable of making.

An entry or foyer is such a space, and often the initial preview of the decorating style of the home.

The entry or foyer interior design and decorating layout is prime real estate for an upholstered ottoman(s), footstool or bench to call home.

A statement piece should be considered a decorative investment, a front and center accent designed to enhance the look you want to convey and placed to visually impress.

upholstered-benchPinterest

Upholstered ottomans, footstools and benches crafted in wood and leather in shapes of round, square or rectangular, upholstered in designer fabric, chic upholstery patterns and textures or vintage textiles and tufted, embellished or trimmed to bespoke specifications define unique utility.

bench-at-end-of-bedPinterest

A cocktail ottoman well-placed in front of sofas, settees or stylish accent chairs can easily transition into the ultimate entertainment center.

Coffee table, guest seating, cocktail station, game table, textile storage- an ottoman offers versatility and functionality with a sense of style and multipurpose. 

leather-ottomanDecorPad

upholstered ottomans, footstools, and benchesDecorPad

Upholstered cocktail ottomans pull decorating double duty as both stylish accent piece and functional home furnishing.

upholstered-cocktail-ottomanWalter E. Smithe

upholstered-round-ottomanBetter Homes and Gardens

upholstered ottomanHome Bunch

I am a big fan of placing a matched pair of upholstered X-bench ottomans side by side, stepping back and letting the accomplished look produced and spot-on placement precision impress.

That is the visually rewarding moment in decorating we strive to reach.

X-bench-upholsteredHouzz

Antique Russian benches upholstered in luxurious Fortuny fabric  become the focal point extraordinaire in polished pairing perfection by capturing the eye and complementing the accent palette through pattern and proportion.

antique-Russian-benchesAtlanta Homes & Lifestyles

In the world of decorating, two can be better than one.

upholstered-ottoman-matching-pairMy Design Chic

The bigger and bolder the statement the better.

ottoman-bohoPinterest

lucite-ottomanTaylor King

dressing-rooms

Lovely, indeed, in European artisan splendor and simple elegance.

Swedish-ottoman-accentGoods Home Furnishings

Dave the Builder, DIY guy extraordinaire, walked in one afternoon and placed before me a salvaged antique burl walnut sewing cabinet with one drawer, porcelain castors, and no top.

My words said thank you, Dave, but my mind thought what in the world am I to do with this?

Dave proceeded to fill me in on his vision for this piece.

The “eyedea” was to have our upholsterer build a padded form to secure to the top to create a custom upholstered footstool.

The unforgiving lighting and cell phone image do not do the finished footstool justice, but trust me, the piece was a work of accent art.

It sold within a week of being introduced into inventory.

I regret not keeping it, but am currently on the hunt for another you say trash and I say treasure piece to repurpose into a footstool.

frog-footstool-fabric

The thinking outside the design box treasures, the noteworthy accent pieces that accentuate our home decor choices and capture the essence of personal style with a “that’s it!” exclamation mark is what distinctive decorating is all about.

Unique upholstered ottomans, footstools and benches definitely fall into that category.

 

 

 

 

 

*** this is a refreshed post ***

Design Show and Tell

A wonderful opportunity and prospective client may be in my future. It is crazy busy, crazy beautiful at Places In The Home, and I’m loving every minute of it- multitasker extraordinaire that I am.

The world of interior design and home decor is a beautiful place to resource in.

With swatches, fan decks, caffeine  patience, eye drops, and Tylenol keeping me company,  the moodboards and mock-ups featuring dining room tables and chairs are under design and decor construction.

Dave the Builder knows it serious when I break out my readers.

Love the world wide web contacts and convenience, but  computer time wreaks havoc with my eyes!

Anywho, the original concept for this blog remains near and dear to my heart- a design show and tell.

dining room tables and chairs

Be steel my heart!

On trend for 2013 is the mix and match styles of dining room tables and chairs.

I discovered the decorative and design impact of this one afternoon at Hopefully Classic, details here.

This option may not fly with the client(s), but I’m considering  these metal dining chairs from Masins Furniture Classics Metal Collection.

Masins Furniture metal chair

I have a vintage china cabinet with double arch pediment in storage that is a candidate for an update in the style of this Thomas bookcase in dark grey with antique pearl grey inside from Blanc d’Ivoire.

gray bookcase

The beautiful thing about sourcing for potential projects is I never get bored with it,  regardless of the outcome.

Keep plugging, keep sourcing, keep stylish, and keep beautiful- the mix and match of life and design.

I’ll share more later of this design show and tell project.

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