In this article: why an ottoman is worth the spend in an Australian living room, how to match one to your lounge, and how to size it correctly.
- What an ottoman is actually doing in the room
- Matching an ottoman to your lounge
- Shape and size guide
- Sizing it to your seating
An ottoman is the piece people add last and use most. It's cheap enough to feel optional at the point of sale, then becomes the footrest, the coffee table, and the extra seat for a guest within the first month. If you're finishing a living room and weighing whether it's worth the spend, the short answer is: almost always, and here's how to pick the right one.
What an ottoman is actually doing in the room
Footrest first
Paired with a lounge or a recliner without one, an ottoman completes the reclined position properly — most standard sofas aren't deep enough to fully support outstretched legs the way a recliner's own footrest does.
A coffee table substitute
A wide, flat-topped ottoman with a tray on top does the job of a coffee table with softer edges — genuinely useful in a house with small children, where a hard-edged coffee table is a real hazard.
Extra seating on demand
A sturdy ottoman pulls up as an occasional seat for guests without permanently taking up a floor position the way an extra chair would.
Matching an ottoman to your lounge
The easiest, safest pairing is the same leather and colour as your main lounge, from the same product line if one exists — Artisan Leather Ottoman next to an Artisan Leather Lounge reads as a designed set rather than a mismatched addition. A contrast ottoman (different colour, same leather family) works as a deliberate accent if you want the room to feel layered rather than matched.
Shape and size guide
| Shape | Best use | Watch for |
|---|---|---|
| Round (Brandy) | Softens a room of straight-edged furniture; safer around small children | Doesn't align flush against a sofa edge the way a square one does |
| Square / rectangular (Artisan) | Matches a modular or sectional lounge line for a designed-set look | Corners are a bump hazard in high-traffic paths |
| Chair-and-ottoman set (Armoni) | A dedicated reading or accent chair position | Needs its own footprint — not a shared piece for the main lounge |
Sizing it to your seating
For a footrest ottoman used with a specific lounge or recliner, match its height to just below the seat cushion height so legs rest at a comfortable angle rather than sloping up or down. For a coffee-table-style ottoman, keep the top roughly 50-100mm lower than the arm height of the surrounding seating, so it doesn't visually compete with the lounge.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should my ottoman match my lounge exactly, or can it contrast?
Either works. Matching the same leather and colour reads as a designed set and is the lower-risk choice. A deliberate contrast in a complementary tone can look more layered and considered, provided the two pieces share an undertone.
Can an ottoman replace a coffee table entirely?
Yes, for most living rooms — a wide, flat-topped ottoman with a serving tray on top handles drinks and remotes just as well as a coffee table, with the added benefit of soft edges and occasional-seating capacity.
Is round or square better for a small living room?
Round tends to suit smaller rooms better, since it has no corners to navigate around in tight walkways and reads as visually lighter than a large square footprint of the same overall size.
Do ottomans need the same leather care as the main lounge?
Yes — same leather grade, same care routine. An ottoman used as a footrest actually sees more direct skin and denim contact than the main seat, so keep it in the same conditioning schedule rather than treating it as lower-priority.