Often the interior of a room is created not only by large furniture and the color of the walls, but also complemented by various small things and accessories. An ottoman is a small item that represents an extra seat. The apartment takes up little space, it is also functional and is made in various original designs.
Appearance story
An ottoman is a low stool covered with fabric, fur or leather. The first soft backless seats appeared in ancient Rome, Greece and Egypt. They were in rich houses and royal palaces. The ottomans had an expensive finish and were covered with noble fabrics. In the Middle Ages, when strictness, modesty and simplicity were revered, products lost their sophistication, turning into heavy, massive and tough stools. Only in the 18th century, soft ottomans along with couches began to be exhibited in the halls and boudoirs of families of the noble family. Due to the rounded shapes, the ladies of the aristocracy did not wrinkle dresses while sitting.
To date, ottomans are comfortable seats produced in various ways. They are weaved from rods, sew in the form of bags, decorated with accessories, made of plastic and use expensive materials. Also created in the form of animals, soft balls and other shapes that are often placed in children's rooms.
Purpose of modern models
According to their functionality and scope, they are divided into several types:
- Poufs as an accessory in the interior. This kind of furniture is not used for its intended purpose, but is installed near bulky items of the room. They can be quite tall and serve as decorative elements. They can be used as a convenient stand for relaxing your legs.
- Padded stools are seats with a soft surface and internal filler. In the manufacture of durable and high-quality fabrics, in order to avoid tearing and damage to the seat. Some models have two or more seating areas and resemble elegant sofas.
- There are models of seats that have special mechanisms, which allows you to turn the pouf into a small table or a comfortable sofa. In addition, there are very convenient products that have additional roomy shelves at the base, where books and magazines can be placed. In ottomans with a drawer located under the folding seat, you can store shoes or bedding.
Shapes and design of poufs
In addition to standard models, manufacturers create products of original and extravagant forms. Design constructions can have round, square and rectangular shapes. It is preferable to purchase multi-functional and lightweight products that do not take up much space, they can be easily moved to another room.
The ottoman in the hallway can serve not only as a decorative element, but also be used as a convenient seat for removing shoes, as well as for storing things. There are models with an open base, having 4 legs. There are also inflatable, soft, frameless. For convenient movement, many massive poufs are equipped with wheels. If it is difficult to allocate space for standard seat shapes, you can purchase a corner option.
For a luxurious environment, models are made of expensive wood and genuine leather. They are decorated with exquisite carvings and gold jewelry.
The modern high-tech style uses wrought metal poufs and seats made of artificial materials. Models in the form of a cube with the absence of legs are often used for interiors in the ethno style.
Wicker rattan products look fragile, however, they have high strength and a long service life.
Bright colors, prints and original texture of materials - this is a fresh approach of designers, perfectly introducing products into modern interiors.
How to choose a ottoman
The main criterion for choosing are the dimensions of the furniture element. It is also important to consider the type of coating on the floor. The ottoman in the hallway is used constantly, so you should pay attention to the seat with a removable cover. It is important to evaluate the quality of construction and the capacity of the drawers, on which, in turn, the service life depends. For the hallway, a practical seat will be a product that has a bench and an additional chest of drawers with shelves. Also in a small room, an elongated pouf can be built into a furniture set.
Extraordinary models can be found for any idea. When using a pouf for decorative purposes, you can purchase such types of models as soft cacti, space balls, stones, buckets, baskets, seats in the form of hearts, flowers, insects.