Ottomania

lots of footstools, a question about your news consumption, plus a sofa secret

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I think technically a footstool is for trotters up and an ottoman is intended as additional seating, but the words seem to be used interchangeably. I like them as a coffee table, piled with the papers, a lovely tray and a plate of crumpets. Speaking of papers, I was fascinated to read this piece by Leyla Kazim over the weekend, about how she no longer consumes any news at all. Ever. In any shape or form. I don’t think I could do it, but she makes a persuasive case. Do let me know what you think about this in the comments, I’m really interested.

Back to ottomans. I love them. They’re nice to look at - the good ones remind me a bit of sturdy pets, e.g. a Norfolk terrier - and they’re so useful. Being squishy and maybe patterned/textured, they can also make a room feel more inviting.

Lying-in Room of a Distinguished Turkish Woman by Jean-Baptiste Van Mour circa 1720-1737. Van Mour was a Flemish painter who went to Constantinople and became known for his super-detailed depictions of life during the Ottoman Empire under Sultan Ahmet II, during the Tulip Period, when the empire was starting to look outward to Europe.

I’ve been in the market for one for ages, so I thought I’d share the fruits of my research. They’re not often cheap, ottomans, and the ones that are cheaper are often let down by their legs, though you can fix that. Leg fittings seem to be broadly universal, meaning you can swap bad legs for good legs, though please measure first for safety. Legs make such a difference (also true of inexpensive sofas).

Vintage aside, the obvious solution to the expense of otts is to upcycle an old one if you’re handy with a staple gun. Very good upholstery supplies here. There are lots of videos on YouTube about how to fold the corners properly so they don’t bulge weirdly. Glorious trimmings are available online. Haines Collection sources high-end designer fabrics for interiors from surplus stock, ex-display stock and remnants. Sometimes the fabric has ‘faults’ that are undetectable to the normal eye, so don’t let that put you off.

Also I am going to tell you a sofa secret right at the bottom of this post, though that looks so clickbait-y written down and it’s not, it’s wildly niche. It will only be of use to you if you are looking for a really serious handmade sofa, the kind you hand down to your children and grandchildren, but for much less than such a thing would cost in the sort of shop that mentally dismisses you halfway through saying ‘can I help you?’. Do you know what I mean? You can sort of see the light leave their eyes. Anyway - not a cheap sofa, by any stretch of the imagination, but a relative bargain in the context of sofas for dukes. My affordable default is IKEA Vimle.