The name Ottoman comes from the core of the Ottoman Empire in Turkey. It was first introduced in Europe in the 18th Century. The Ottoman is a highly versatile piece of furniture that has been growing popular in recent years.
It’s a great addition to a home and has many purposes. But does it have to match with the other furniture in your living space?
Does ottoman need to match chair?
Matching ottomans with chairs is not necessary. Many chairs come with matching ottomans. However, mismatching furniture is trending and is a great way to change the outlook of your living room. Although it is not required to match, they should look good together.
Table of Contents
It’s not always possible to find matching sets and you might have an ottoman that you cannot replace. As long as it appears to fit with the setting of your room and the other furniture in it, it should be just fine. Many homeowners are hopping on this trend.
How to match an ottoman to a chair?
Match the height:
Matching the height of the seat of your chair with the height of the ottoman will make it more comfortable for you to use it. Not only will it look good, but it will be more convenient as well.
Match the colors or undertones:
Matching the colors is the simplest way to decorate the furniture in your room. They could be from completely different sets but still function well together because of the color.
This is the safest way to match your furniture. You don’t necessarily have to buy the same color. Just find an ottoman that compliments the color of the chair. An exact match can be hard to find. Find complementary or accent colors.
Match the fabric or material:
If you can’t match the color or style, you can match the material. Get an ottoman made out of leather for your leather chair. Mismatching texture can make your living space feel chaotic.
Match the style with each other:
Try to match the era or fashion concept of the chair with your ottoman. A modern ottoman will not be the best fit for a vintage chair. It will look messy and all over the place. Stick to one style. It is easier to coordinate if they are from the same era.
Should an ottoman be the same width as the chair?
They should be the same width as the chair because of accessibility. It can differ by a few inches. The wider your chair, the wider your ottoman should be. This is the most common style with a few exceptions. If the size of your ottoman is small, it doesn’t have to be too wide.
The reason for this is accessibility. It is needed to make it more convenient for the person to reach the ottoman from both ends. For couches or larger style chairs, it’s different.
In that case, they should be at least half the size of the couch. If the ottoman is too small, you can combine two or more ottomans to make up for the width.
Does ottoman need to match sofa?
Ottomans need to be coordinated with sofas but they don’t have to match. The color doesn’t have to match but it should be a complementary color. The textures and material can differ if they have at least one feature in common. It should go well with the living room.
You need to pick the right height and correct fabric for them to coordinate with each other. Ottomans come in endless designs and matching it with the sofa is quite common.
But many professional designers have started to mix them up. By mismatching them, your living space can give off a designer vibe.
How to match an ottoman to a sofa?
Match the scale:
The scale is always important. If you have a small sofa, a large ottoman can overpower the sofa and make it look odd. If you have a large sofa, an equally large ottoman would be too much for the room. It will take up a large portion of the room.
Keep a common thread:
Keep something in common whether it’s the height, style, color, or material. There should be at least one thing in common. This is a great way to match your ottoman to the sofa. You won’t have to spend so much time on finding an exact match.
Match the cushions of the sofa:
You can match the fabric of your cushions with your ottoman. The pattern could be the same or the color. Many famous designers do this and you can try it out too.
Should ottoman be lower than sofa?
An ottoman should always be lower or the same height as the sofa. This is because ottomans are primarily used as footrests so you should be able to comfortably reach them with your feet. It should never be taller as it can strain your legs or back when you lift your feet.
The height of your ottoman is crucial. An inch or two lower should make it more comfortable for your back and legs.
Try out ottomans of different heights to figure out which measurement suits you best. You can stack boxes on a piece of furniture to find out the ideal ottoman height for you.
In the case of a couch or a sofa, it should be at least 1 inch shorter than the seat of the couch or sofa.
How much space should be between ottoman and sofa?
This depends on the purpose of the ottoman and the size of the ottoman. The main rule to follow is to have enough space for you to easily move around the furniture while still keeping it close to the sofa for convenience.
The size of your ottoman is also a factor as larger furniture needs more space to walk around. These things will help you identify the amount of space needed between your ottoman and sofa.
The ideal distance between furniture pieces for walking is around 36 inches. But this can be too much for our usually small ottomans. 12 inches should be enough for an ottoman that is used as a footrest.
There should be enough room to allow passage but it shouldn’t be too far so that you can place your legs. If you have a small ottoman that you’re only using as a side table, set it close enough to the sofa so that you can easily place your drink.
If you have a large ottoman, larger than a coffee table, there should be around 14 to 18 inches distance between the ottoman and the sofa. If your ottoman provides extra seating, there should be at least 28 inches of space from the sofa.
Make sure it’s not too close or else it can be a trip risk.
Does ottoman have to match couch?
The ottoman does not need to match the couch. Purchasing matching sets is the easiest way to ensure that your ottoman coordinates with the couch. It has been in the tradition for decades. But finding an exact match can be difficult if they don’t come in pairs. So spice it up by mismatching them!
How to match ottoman with couch?
Match the size or don’t:
Most people play safe by selecting an ottoman that matches the scale of the rest of the furniture in the room. It makes everything work in harmony.
You can coordinate but be different at the same time by choosing an oversized ottoman. It will draw all the attention to the ottoman and be a dramatic accent for your living space.
Focus on the coordination of colors:
Keep a similar color palette of the ottoman that is also compatible with the couch. Both can be light colors and the ottoman can be a shade lighter or darker.
Match legs. Identical legs help coordinate the ottoman with the couch. If you can’t find identical legs, try to find legs of the same color and style. This is a bonus decorative element for your living room.
What color ottoman goes with:
It’s important to pick the correct ottoman color to complement the colors of your furniture. Ottomans come in a variety of colors and we’re here to help you make better choices.
Black couch:
Go for pastel, contrasting, monochrome colors to fit your black couch. Tintype colors will create a modernized look for your room.
Contrasting colors are bold and will outshine your black couch. You can use pastel colors too. They are mostly used to soften the deep black color.
Brown/Dark brown couch:
This color will go well with light-colored ottomans. It will offer a lovely contrast. But a matching color can work too as long as the fabric is similar.
Brown leather couch:
Match the brown leather couch with some fun colors as long as the color of the walls is neutral. You can combine it with a gold ottoman to bring out the 70s vibe. A navy and white color ottoman with brown leather can also remind you of the beach.
Gray/Dark Gray/Light Gray couch:
Pick an ottoman in the same undertone but a shade lighter or darker than your couch. You can’t go wrong with this.
You can even match with an Ottoman that includes a pattern design with gray in it. Since gray is a dull color, it can look great with a multicolored Ottoman.
Blue couch:
The best ottoman color for a blue couch is white or beige colors. A soft cream color or industrial gray is an excellent choice too. It will be a great accent and make your decor interesting. Or go bold with yellow or orange for a funkier vibe.
Red Couch:
A red couch is perfect for a contemporary living room and you can make it better with an Ottoman of neutral colors such as white, black, or a range of colors in shades of brown or gray. Some people also try blue. Red and blue complement each other.
Should ottoman match sectional?
Matching your ottoman with the sectional is always a good idea. Matching sets can give you the needed seat height to keep your leg. But matching sets are not mandatory. Many people mix and match their ottoman and sectional in terms of color, material, and texture.
It is completely up to you whether you want to match them or not. Matching the ottoman with your sectional can seem ‘boring’ to many because this is the most common styling method.
Moreover, finding an ottoman that matches your sectional might be time-consuming. Matching sets can be expensive whereas buying them separately is much cheaper.
How do I choose ottoman color?
Match with the other furniture in the area:
Matching the colors can just be what you need if you want your living space to look straight out of a catalog. It will make your living space appear professional and classy. The style does not have to match as long as they have the same color.
Matching the undertones:
You can’t always find matching ottomans with the furniture in your living area. To fix that, you can match the tones instead.
Both the sofa and the ottoman can be of two dark colors or two light colors. For example, blue and green of similar tones will look stunning and unique.
Mismatching the colors with the sofa, couch, or chair:
Hop on the trend! Mismatching the colors of your ottoman with the chair or mismatching any furniture completely changes the surrounding area. But make sure the colors don’t clash. It’s a great opportunity to reinvent your living room.
Be bold:
Add a burst of color to your neutral or dull couch. A bright pink ottoman with a pale white couch. Make it completely different: light and dark or dark and light.
Go for contrasting colors. This will also show a lot about your personality to the guests. It shows you’re not afraid to be bold!
At the end of the day, it is totally up to you whether you want to match your ottoman with the other furniture in your room or not. Don’t play by the rules.
Try the mismatched trend and see for yourself if it suits your living room or not. With these basic styling tips, you can transform your living space.