Poufs, Ottomans, and Footstools: types, sizes, colors, DIY, and decorating ideas

The poufs & ottomans are a low soft chair without a back. This is a surprisingly successful piece of furniture: it is comfortable to sit on, it does not take up much space and is stylized to fit any interior. A beautiful soft product makes the atmosphere varied and comfortable. The furniture industry produces a wide range of poufs of various designs and shapes. In order not to make a mistake with the purchase, we will tell you what types of poufs are, what they are made from and how to choose this piece of furniture.

Poufs & Ottomans Features 

Poufs – furniture with rich functionality, they can be used in different places and for different reasons.

Such a little cute item can be useful in many ways. And if you make it the accent, it is able to change the appearance of the interior. For example, in a white room setting, introduce two red poufs and a picture with poppies. They will dilute the monotony and give energy to a cold environment.

Poufs & Ottomans – Selection tips

Poufs refer to small pieces of furniture and are not too necessary, but its effect on the formed interior will be noticeable. It will either support the theme of the situation or “ruin” it with an incomprehensible look.

In addition, a correctly selected product will always take its place in the soul of the owner, and in time will become indispensable. The owner will put his feet on him, and sit down when necessary, and put a cup of tea, and will even wonder how he used to do without such a useful thing.

Before you purchase a model, you need to know where it will be. Poufs & ottomans are small, lightweight, come on casters, with a carry handle, they can be moved throughout the house. You need to immediately understand what room the poufs are purchased for: in the bathroom, living room, hallway, for the kitchen or on the veranda or balcony. This will affect the choice of material, size, style, and color of the item.

The model designed for the hallway should have more functionality and since the corridors suffer from a deficit of free space, it is better to have a pouf with additional functionality – a box or shelves for shoes.

In the large living room you can put a large model on which you can relax not only sitting but lying or half-sitting.

In the bedroom on the poufs, you can sew a beautiful cover made of textile that matches the curtains, pillows or bedspreads.

The model for the children’s room should be stable and safe, made of environmentally friendly materials. You can choose a bright design, but at the same time take into account the wishes and taste of the baby.

In the bathroom, on the veranda or balcony, the pouf is selected with waterproof upholstery, not too soft seating, so that it can be used as a table.

Ottomans & Poufs – Shapes and sizes

In the classic version, poufs are considered small soft stools, but in any case, there are some exceptions to the rules. On sale, you can find a wide variety of shapes and sizes of these items.

Large ottomans and poufs

A large pouf or ottoman can be a convenient drawer for storing many things. Large poufs correct the atmosphere and create comfort in spacious rooms. Their sizes allow not only comfortable sitting but also lying down, relaxing with a book or watching TV. Large items include round or oval poufs, upholstered seats in the hallway.

Mini poufs

Models are compact in size and are most often used as footrests. Sitting on low small items is convenient only for children. In tiny poufs, the seat is actually next to the floor, located on base several centimeters high, and the poufs are completely devoid of foundation. There are mini poufs with short curly legs.

Poufs can be found in any geometric shape, curly (in the form of animals, flowers) and even completely shapeless. A variety of appearance allows you to choose them for any environment. For example, for interiors with smooth lines as a base, round or oval products are suitable for them. For a classic style, it is better to choose a square or rectangular model.

Square or cubic poufs and ottomans

Such poufs belong to the classical form of models and are made in the form of a soft cube on almost invisible legs. They are made of leather, leather substitute and fabric, most often they use a carriage screed. Cubic poufs are frame and frameless. The second contains a variety of filler, can sit on either side, since there are no legs. Frame models often contain a roomy drawer for things.

Rectangular footstools, ottomans and poufs

Rectangular footstools differ from square models only in an elongated shape. They are also endowed with drawers and can be very low or taller, with or without comfortable seating. Rectangular poufs are often purchased for hallways, you can sit on them to change shoes, and put shoes inside.

Round, oval, cylindrical ottomans and poufs

Round poufs are classical products, as they are loved by many. On sale, you can find options of different heights with frame and frameless, with and without drawers. Round poufs and ottomans suit soft styles. But sometimes angular rectilinear interiors require softening the lines, in such cases, they resort to the help of round, oval and cylindrical poufs.

Curly

Modular poufs and ottomans can be called curly. Are made up of different parts into a single whole. In disassembled form, each section does not always have a strict geometric shape. Modules with irregular lines are called curly.

Poufs & Ottomans – Types overview

Despite the fact that poufs are not the most necessary interior item, designers treated them with special love, creating a large number of species that differ in styles, shapes, and purposes.

Not all poufs are soft, there are also hard ones whose seats are made of balsa wood or weaving vines, rattan, and other suitable vegetation. Such poufs come with a frame or frameless (poufs-bags). There are open views on the legs and closed, which are in the form of cubes on the floor. On sale, you can find poufs-chest, poufs-shoe, pillow-poufs.

Wireframe

Most models are related to frame poufs. Such an item has a rigid frame that holds the weight of an adult, and a soft seat with a spring or other filling. They can have different shapes: square, round, oval or rectangular. They can be open or closed, mounted on legs or on a barely noticeable base.

Bean bags

Such types are called bean bags, which means “a bag of beans.” They look like small colored cases with filler. Content can be artificial – polypropylene, polystyrene foam, or natural – hay. Bean bags, although do not have a frame, contain the recognizable shape of a ball, pear, triangle, rectangle.

Bean bag do not harm the spine, since they completely repeat the shape of a seated person, with orthopedic filler.

Transformers

For those who like to make rational use of space, a sliding/folding pouf or model with a lifting mechanism is suitable. The functionality and compactness of the products make them ideal for small apartments, high-tech styles, minimalism. Depending on the purpose, the models can be small or impressive in size.

The pouf on the legs, perhaps less reliable, but more extravagant. It can be tall curly, carved legs or small squat, but very durable. Such models look more elegant, they fit the imperial style, baroque, classicism.

On wheels

The pouf is already convenient in every way, and if you put it on the rollers, you won’t have to carry it, but simply roll it over. Some models are equipped with soft handles in the form of a loop, for which they are easy to move.

Inflatable

Everyone knows air mattresses used during travel. Poufs are made in the same way, they have a chamber, which is filled with air using a pump. But unlike mattresses, soft stools are endowed with removable covers with zippers, and they can be removed and washed at any time.

Poufs materials

On sale you can find many varieties of poufs: fabric, leather, forged, rattan, jute. The imagination of the people is even richer than that of furniture manufacturers. Home craftsmen make products from car tires, plastic bottles and even from the drum of an old washing machine.

Leather pouf & ottomans

For expensive products, use genuine leather, it looks impressive, presentable, and emphasizes the status of the owner. Ecological leather, have more loyal prices. Such poufs are easy to wash, do not absorb moisture and can be in any room, even in the kitchen.

Of the shortcomings, it should be noted the complexity of their restoration-if the skin accidentally tears, you will have to change the entire upholstery.

Weaving

Different materials can be used here, but most often it is a vine, bamboo, and rattan. Natural weaving poufs are original and environmentally friendly, but can not be left outside in the rain or for all seasons, they can swell or crack. The artificial rattan is ideal in this respect – if you leave it on the terrace, it will not dry out in the summer and will not freeze in the winter. It needs to be washed periodically since the dust is clogged into the textured weave.

For poufs, soft weave materials are also used. The seat can be knitted from yarn or weaved from jute – plant fiber, designed for the manufacture of bags and ropes.

Forging

Often an open pouf is installed on a forged base. The product is strong, reliable and durable, and can withstand heavyweight. A forged bench is unusually beautiful, it can be on woven elegant legs, with a fabric cushion or leather seat.

Wooden

The wood looks organically in any furniture design and is suitable for all interiors. Poufs on curly graceful legs or in the form of wooden chests draped in leather look romantic and cozy.

Plastic

Bright plastic poufs are invaluable for modern interiors. This is not an old primitive plastic of the last century, but durable glossy material with a perfectly smooth structure.

If we put aside the traditional approach to creating furniture, one may wonder what materials are used in folk art, how rich the imagination of home craftsmen is.

Color schemes

The color of upholstered furniture does not obey clear rules and can have an infinite palette of colors: pink, yellow, turquoise, orange or black. This can be seen by looking at examples of different models.

Poufs & ottomans for different rooms

Poufs are considered a universal accessory because can fit in different rooms. Most often are placed in the hallway and bedroom. It is in these parts of the house that such pieces of furniture not only look beautiful but are also practical.

Poufs, footstools, ottomans in the hallway

The entrance hall in most houses and apartments is a room with a small area in which many people can’t simultaneously be. Therefore, the furniture in it should be practical, but at the same time take up little space.

Ottomans & Poufs in the bedroom

Poufs for the bedroom are of several types, depending on the use cases:

Take into account the general composition and style. There are many options for making sleeping poufs with your own hands. The main thing to choose is the material for the frame, trim, fabric for decoration.

Poufs & ottomans in the children’s room 

In addition, it is a functional and safe piece of furniture. It often acts as a bright accent in the room. The color can overlap with other elements of the decor, in addition, it is convenient to place toys and books on it.

Poufs & ottomans in different interior style

Finally, we offer to see how poufs look in the interiors of different styles.

Pouf – like a favorite item decor, it should be beautiful, stylish, soft, at the same time indispensable and functional, fulfilling its mission by 100%.

DIY poufs & ottomans

Why should you pay attention to the issue of homemade poufs? In stores you can find a large assortment of this type of furniture, it seems that among the variety of options, everyone will find what he likes. However, the issue of value plays an important role.

The cost of DIY furniture is an order of magnitude less than the purchase price. To make it, you can use the materials at hand, which probably are in your home. If you have to buy something, then in a small amount. Another advantage is the originality of such furniture.

How to sew soft poufs?

A soft accessory will not only be a good complement to furniture, as a place to sit, but you and your guests will surely also like it.

The simplest soft padded stool model consists of three parts: two circles of the same size and a long strip. To calculate the length of the strip, you must add the diameters of the circles. All parts are cut out and sewn together, leaving space for filler on top.

Tips

Use any available materials as a filler; lightweight polystyrene foam balls are recognized as the most popular – cheap, practical, convenient.

To stitch a more complex version, you need to prepare eight parts of a hexagonal shape. On one of them, we bend the ends to get a hole for stuffing. During stitching, we first connect two parts (side by side), then four, and so on, until all eight hexagons are sewn together.

From bottles

The product from bottles is made simply, does not require special devices, materials. You will need about 40 pieces, it is important that bottles are all the same in size and volume. It is better to take containers from under the same drink.

The manufacturing instruction is simple:

Such a bottle item is suitable for sitting on it or for use as a bedside table. You cannot climb on it with legs, jump, put heavy objects on top. A cover is put on top, it can also be made independently.

From wood

It is necessary to undertake the manufacture of wooden furniture people having at least initial skills in working with such material. For the construction of the main parts, you will need laminated chipboard. Make a circle and four rectangles from it – if the size of the circle is 30 cm, then the rectangles should be about 40 * 33 cm.

Take sheets of chipboard, connect them in the form of a box, at the joints we process them with glue. At the lower corners we place the bars, we fix with glue and screws. The cover is also attached with self-tapping screws and glue, as a result we get the finished frame of the product.

For upholstery, it is most practical to use furniture fabrics, they are durable, easy to care for. To make the lid soft, the foam material is placed under the finishing material.

Conclusion + Photo gallery: Interior decoration ideas with poufs & ottomans

Poufs are versatile interior items that can be used both for decoration and for practical use. Their advantages are universality, assortment, the ability to manufacture the original model. Among the shortcomings, one can single out the complexity – the product is difficult to make with your own hands, especially without experience, material costs, and fragility.