November 25, 2019 Joel Benatar

In every home you visit, you’ll notice new furniture pieces that have replaced the living room’s conventional, faithful coffee table. This relatively indispensable substitution compels you to make a similar change in your own living room. An ottoman serves as a conversation piece, as well as a functional footrest simultaneously.

Explore home décor magazines and browse the Internet. You’ll find countless ottoman inspirations to help you. Discussed here are some tips for using this exquisite piece of furniture as a coffee table.  

Assess Your Space

Measure the exact dimensions of your living room. Check the dimensions of the furniture as well. Double check the spot you intend to use as the coffee table area. If the free space in your living room is quite restricted, it’s ideal to replace the existing coffee table with an ottoman. You can even consider placing two small cubes here. The advantage of using ottomans is that you can move them to corners or anywhere in the living room when you need uninterrupted floor space. This is because these innocuous pieces of furniture are compact and lightweight.

Check Ottomans of Varying Heights

Although ottoman substitutes bearing the same profile as a traditional coffee table are available readily, their heights vary vastly. Hence, if you prefer to use an ottoman exclusively for drinking margaritas or sipping espresso, you can pick one whose top is slightly at a lower level than the surrounding furniture. Anyhow, ensure that the height of the piece is practical for everyday use. 

If you intend to surround the ottoman with floor cushions or throw pillows, then opt for a low piece. This arrangement works exceedingly well if the space in your living room is extremely limited or you prefer highly flexible layouts and seating for your guests.

Consider the Other Uses of a Coffee-Table Ottoman 

Most ottomans come with perfectly fitting cushioned tops that lift to display extra storage space. Some ottomans sport a raised top with taller legs and a magazine shelf underneath the top surface. Other ottomans are equipped with a removable tray-top table. Before buying a coffee-table ottoman, consider the other functions it will serve in your living room.

An ottoman comes in diverse geometrical shapes, such as oval, square, circle or rectangle, or has a pouf shape. Some ottomans are available in pairs or even in sets of four or five pieces. The pieces join to form a square or circle. If a coffee table option that’s streamlined as well as lightweight appeals to you, then a simple, bench-style ottoman or two tiny square ottomans function efficiently.

Settle for a Perfect Finish

An ottoman with a luxurious leather upholstery or wooden tray top renders a genuine coffee table feeling. Nevertheless, you must remember that an exquisite finish demands more maintenance than you are capable of. In that case, opt for a lightweight piece with dark fabric. Also ensure that the top surface is moisture-resistant.

Experiment Different Layouts

Place an ottoman or even two of them in front of your favorite seat. The versatility of this piece permits you a wider range of layout options. Set two ottomans near a window to serve as seats. You can also place four tiny ottomans together to make one big square shape. Regardless of the diverse purposes for which you use an ottoman, you must resist the temptation of covering its top surface with knickknacks as it only clutters their relatively limited surface area.