Not Sure Which Ottomans Will Suit Your Space? A Practical Buying Guide

Most people know they want an ottoman. They're less sure about what size, what shape, or what it actually needs to do. An ottoman sounds simple until you're standing in a room trying to figure out whether you want extra seating, a footrest, hidden storage, or something purely decorative  and realising you might want all four. This guide breaks down the decisions that actually matter so you can pick one that works rather than one you'll eventually move to a spare room.

First, Decide What Job It Needs to Do

This is the question most buyers skip, and it's why a lot of ottomans end up underused. An ottoman can be a footrest, a coffee table substitute, extra seating, a storage solution, or a statement piece. It can do several of these things at once, but it helps to rank them.

If you primarily want somewhere to put your feet up after work, a lower, softer option works well. If it needs to double as occasional seating when guests come over, you want something with more structure and a firm top. If storage matters and in smaller spaces it often does look for a lift-top design with enough internal depth to be useful, not just symbolic.

Getting this right early saves a lot of time. Ottoman furniture that's trying to do everything rarely does any of it particularly well, so being specific about the primary job helps narrow the field fast.

Round or Rectangular  It's Not Just About Shape

Shape is a practical decision as much as an aesthetic one. Round ottomans soften a room. They work well in spaces that are already angular  a living room full of straight-lined sofas and sharp coffee table edges benefits from something with curves. They're also easier to move around because there are no corners to navigate, which matters if the ottoman pulls double duty as extra seating in different parts of the room.

Rectangular ottomans follow the logic of the furniture around them. They align naturally with a sofa, fill a space more efficiently, and tend to offer more surface area if you're using them as a coffee table. In a long, narrow room, a rectangular ottoman draws the eye the right way. In a square room with a sectional, a large square ottoman often fits better than either.

Neither is the wrong answer  it depends on what's already in the room and how the space flows.

Size: The Mistake Most People Make

Going too small is the most common ottoman mistake. A small ottoman in a large room looks like an afterthought. The general rule is to leave about 45cm between the ottoman and the sofa  enough to walk through comfortably  and then fill the remaining space. If you're replacing a coffee table, the ottoman should be roughly two-thirds the length of the sofa.

In smaller rooms, a single large ottoman almost always looks better than two small ones. It anchors the space rather than cluttering it. If you genuinely need flexibility for seating, for different room configurations  a set of smaller poufs that can be stacked or spread is a better call than trying to make one mid-size piece cover every situation.

Material Matters More Than People Expect

The material affects how the ottoman ages, how easy it is to maintain, and how it feels in the room. Fabric is soft and warm but picks up spills and pet hair. Leather wipes clean, develops character over time, and holds its shape well. Cowhide adds texture and pattern without overwhelming a space  it tends to work across styles because the natural variation reads as organic rather than decorative.

For a piece that sees daily use, material durability matters as much as how it looks on day one. A well-made leather or cowhide ottoman will still look good in ten years. A fabric piece in a heavily used room may not.

How to Match It to What's Already There

An ottoman doesn't need to match the sofa it needs to work with it. Complementary rather than identical is usually the better outcome. A tan leather ottoman against a grey sofa. A patchwork cowhide pouf in a room with clean-lined timber furniture. The contrast is what makes the piece interesting.

What does need to align is scale and weight. A light, delicate ottoman under a large, heavy sofa looks wrong even if the colors work. A bulky, overstuffed ottoman next to a low-profile sofa has the same problem in reverse. Match the visual weight, not necessarily the material or color.

What to Look For in the Piece Itself

Construction quality is hard to assess from a photo but easy to identify in person. Push down on the top  it should hold its shape and spring back. Check the base for even contact with the floor. On leather or cowhide pieces, look at the seams and stitching. On storage ottomans, open and close the lid a few times. These small checks tell you more about longevity than any product description.

Melbourne Leather Co's range of ottomans and leather poufs are handcrafted from genuine leather and cowhide, built for rooms where the furniture actually gets used. From Moroccan-style round ottoman furniture to structured cowhide designs, each piece is made to hold up over time while adding something real to the space it's in.