Footstool coffee table

The coffee table is so popular in our homes today, and with good reason. We spend a lot of time choosing the perfect sofa, but come to the footstool or coffee table and it's usually an afterthought, but this multitasking piece of furniture has a lot to offer.

Hopefully we’ll be able to help you know exactly what to look for when buying one. After all its the main focus point of the room, so it’s worth giving it some attention!

Here’s five important questions to ask yourself:

What exactly is a footstool coffee table?

A footstool coffee table is a combination of both a footstool and a coffee table merged to create one piece. They are upholstered in fabric, offer a comfortable place to put your feet or even sit on, while also have a place to rest things as you would on a coffee table.

It’s usually slightly larger than a standard footstool normally around 90 cm on the longest side and typically takes up more space so to both kick up your feet, as well as fit a tray on, so as to not have to move anything out the way.

With plush foam padding so you can still use it as a footstool or seat, and a flat top to create a sturdy surface but still offering a cozy and supportive surface.

What do you want to use your footstool coffee table for?

This question is a great place to start because your answer to it narrows your search right away. Why? Because a footstool coffee table serves many purposes.

The first thing you’ll want to do is decide the main reason you need a coffee table. From here, it’ll be so much easier to decide what to look for. And regardless of why you need it, it’s important to think through your needs and how you plan to use this piece of furniture.

Will it solely act as a table or would you rather it be a comfortable spot to rest your feet? Be sure to think about the bigger picture of how you use your living room.

Now measure any hallways that the sofa needs to pass through. Take into account things like radiators, and light fittings that cannot be removed easily.

If you have kids, is having a piece with soft edges important?

A footstool coffee table can work really well in homes with small children because they don’t have sharp edges, their typically rounded off softer edges than traditional coffee tables. No bumps or cuts, here!

You should look for one with a flat top that feels sturdy and not overly plush on top so that there is some structure to it for everyday use.

From here, other things can be considered such as the size, style, or if you need storage.

What size should a footstool coffee table be?

Getting the size for your footstool coffee table is so important, it’s where a lot of people make mistakes and end up buying one that’s either too small or too big for there living space. So let's try to avoid that.

The biggest mistake you can make is deciding on the style first, without considering the dimensions and how it will fit in with the other pieces of furniture you already have.

Firstly make sure that you choose a size that’s appropriate in scale to your sofa or other seating in the room.

Getting the length right.

A good rule of thumb is when looking for a footstool coffee table, try to make sure at least one of the measurements either the length or width is at least 90 cm or more.

Choosing the perfect height

The height so be about the same height as your sofa seat cushions which is normally around the 40-50 cm range unless you have a really tall sofa.

We find the perfect height to be around 2-7 cm lower than your sofa’s seat cushions.

Remember if you want to use it for both a footstool and coffee table make sure its not taller than seat cushions on your sofa - otherwise its really uncomfortable for your legs!

But you want to ensure that you leave enough “walk around” space between itself and the seating so you don’t have to shuffle around it. Leaving around 45cm or so of space is just about right to walk around and it allows you to reach things easily. Any more or less than that will feel uncomfortably to close or far away.

What shape footstool coffee table works best?

After you've decided on the best size for your footstool coffee table, it's time to choose the shape. Often, choosing between a square, rectangle or round boils down to your personal liking and a practical perspective.

The first thing you should do is take into account other pieces of furniture in the room. Different spaces and layouts call for different shapes, but here’s something to think about. For a room that’s more closed off, square or rectangular works perfectly.

Furniture typically has lots of sharp angles, as do the walls of most rooms, for that matter. So it makes sense that for most people, to think rectangle or square feels like a safe choice.

Where as a round shape helps with softening harsh corners. If your living room is very busy, and you’ll frequently be walking around, round works well.

Bonus tip! Using a round shape in a smaller room, makes a room feel larger.

What you need to do is strike a balance between round and square shapes in the room, if the majority of your furniture is square (think a sofa with square arms, square fireplace, and square side tables), a round footstool coffee table adds balance. Alternatively, if you have a sofa with round arms, a round mirror, and round side tables, a square or rectangular shape works beautifully. It’s all about balance.

Velvet fabric for a footstool coffee table?

Now you have decided on what you want to use your footstool coffee table for, picked the perfect size and decided on the shape its time to choose the fabric.

Many love the look and luxury feel of a plush velvet but are hesitate to choose it because you’ve heard it’s hard to maintain. Well that isn’t necessarily true.

Our velvet fabric is made from high-quality 100% polyester its less prone to marking or crushing and really easy to look after. Velvet’s dense pile means it displays colour very which allows it too creating an intense, rich tone which is hard to get with a cotton or linen fabric.

We have the most popular on trend velvet colours, available which are navy blue, forest green, grey, taupe and natural cream.