It’s Friday and the first phase of the moving has started. We spent the start of the weekend putting everything into piles for which items we are bringing to Norway, which flights they are going on or if it’s time to give to give them away to a charity. It’s first you start to move that you suddenly discover how much stuff you have brought into the home.
The London flat is 50m’2 and our new flat in Oslo is 41m’2. It means that it’s less room for stuff and you need to think creative about how furniture can be used. Therefore, I’ve decided that an ottoman in the living room area can be a good option. In addition, I really like how they can soften up a room.
So how do you make an ottoman work in a living room?
1. Style the ottoman
When it comes to using an ottoman as a coffee table, it is important to remember just that. It is a coffee table. It needs to be able to have some items on it and you need perhaps to be able to set a coffee cup on it. This can be done in a couple of ways. You can add a tray that is robust to the ottoman, or you can add a couple of large books that you perhaps are not too scared of.
When it comes to styling an ottoman, try to include something that is tall (like a candle), something sculptural that shows off your personality, something from the nature and stacks of books.
From One kings Lane
2. Have a shape that works for your room
It’s important to pick a size and shape that works well for the room. A round ottoman will show off as a bit softer and will give an informal vibe. If your living room is more rectangular, try to go for a rectangular shape. The same goes for a squared room, go for a squared shaped ottoman.
From Instagram
3. Hight and legs
Try to keep the hight level on an ottoman lower than the sofa, this to balance the room in the right way. You want to reach or look at something that sits lower than where you are sitting. Try also to go for visible legs if you have a mid-size to smaller room. This will make the room appear more specious, even with a larger ottoman.
4. Understand your colour palette
When picking an ottoman, it’s important to be aware of the colours that is already in the room and find a colour that ties it all together. Remember that you want the ottoman to be a part of the room and not as a complete stand alone piece by itself. If your room is white and a lot of light colours, be careful to pick a dark coloured ottoman. The easy way to pick a colour for an ottoman is to go with neutral colours that already exists in the room and can be matched in the ottoman.
From Tina Marie Interior Design
5. Dare to go bigger
Dare to go bigger than you perhaps planned or think you needed. The larger the ottoman, the better you can add more content like books and flowers to it. But be careful that it’s not too big based on other furniture sizes in the room and the size of the room in itself.
Have you ever considered having an ottoman as a coffee table?
