Storage Ottomans That Double as Seating: What to Look For

Short answer: A storage ottoman works as an extra seat, a footrest and hidden storage when it is the same height as your sofa seat, large enough to sit or rest your feet on, and easy to open. Our storage ottomans in Atmosphere, Ciello, Gaia, Orian and Neptune each match the seat height of their sofa, from 16.9 inches on Neptune to 21.3 inches on Ciello and Gaia. Hidden storage runs from 32 liters on Neptune to about 80 liters on Orian and Atmosphere, with Ciello at 75 liters.

A storage ottoman is often the piece that lets a small living room do more. It can stand in for a chaise, give a guest somewhere to sit and hide blankets, pillows and everyday clutter. The checks below show how to choose one that does all three.

On This Page

1. What should a storage ottoman do well?
2. Which of our collections have a storage ottoman?
3. How does an ottoman pair with your sofa?
4. How do the lid and opening work?
5. What fabric should a storage ottoman have?
6. What other pieces offer both seating and storage?
7. Our recommendation
8. Explore our seating

What should a storage ottoman do well?

Look at it as three jobs in one piece of furniture, and check each one before you buy.

• Footrest: the top should sit at about the height of your sofa seat, so your legs rest level rather than reaching up or down.
• Extra seat: the top needs to be wide enough to sit on and firm enough to feel stable. Our Atmosphere ottoman module is described on its product page as an excellent footrest that doubles as extra seating in a pinch, so we suggest treating ottomans as occasional seats rather than as a replacement for a sofa seat.
• Hidden storage: check the size of the space inside and how you reach it, because a large space is only useful if you can lift the top easily.
• Cover and fabric: a piece that gets feet and shoes on it needs a durable fabric and, ideally, a cover you can remove.

Weight is worth a mention. The product pages for our ottomans do not state a weight rating for sitting, so contact our team before relying on one as a regular seat for heavy use.

Which of our collections have a storage ottoman?

Five of our sofa collections have a storage ottoman, and each is available on our U.S. site: Atmosphere, Ciello, Gaia, Orian and Neptune. The table gives the outside size, the storage and what makes each one different.

Which of our collections have a storage ottoman?

The storage ottomans described on our product pages are in these five collections. The Atmosphere ottoman is available as a regular or a long ottoman, and storage versions of both are offered, so check that the storage option is selected when you build your sofa.

How does an ottoman pair with your sofa?

The simplest check is height: in each of these collections, the ottoman is the same height as the matching sofa seat (for Atmosphere, the storage seat). That keeps a footrest level and lets the ottoman sit flush against the seat when you want it to act like part of a chaise.

• Match the seat height: Neptune and Orian are the lowest at 16.9 and 16.7 inches. Atmosphere storage pieces are 18.1 inches, while a regular Atmosphere ottoman is 17.5 inches. Ciello and Gaia are the highest at 21.3 inches.
• Think about the footprint: a 31-inch square ottoman is a large piece. In a small room, the Neptune ottoman at 25.2 x 20.3 inches or the Atmosphere ottoman at 29.5 inches square leaves more walking space. As general advice, not a product specification, try to leave about 30 inches of clear walkway around it.
• Use it as a chaise: an ottoman placed at the end of the seats gives you a lounging area without a fixed chaise. Our modular sofa guide explains how modules combine.
• Plan for the whole room: if the ottoman replaces a coffee table, check that you can still reach a drink from the sofa. Our guide to sofas for small apartments and condos helps you choose the sofa size first.

How do the lid and opening work?

The opening matters more than the label. Our product pages do not describe how each top opens, so we only state what we can confirm. Our Gaia and Ciello storage ottomans are built from a base, a separate lid and a seat cushion, each with its own cover. Our Atmosphere, Orian and Neptune storage ottomans are built from a base with a seat cushion on top. If the way the top comes off matters in your room, contact our team before you order.

• What fits: the product pages describe blankets, pillows and everyday essentials. Orian describes its ottoman as made for bedding accessories.
• Interior size: the Gaia ottoman has a space of 26.8 x 26.8 x 7.6 inches. That is a shallow space, so measure any bulky item before you count on it.
• Moving it: the Neptune and Orian ottomans move freely, so you can pull them to where someone wants to sit.

Our guide to sofa beds with storage explains where bedding goes on our sleeper sofas with storage seats.

What fabric should a storage ottoman have?

An ottoman gets more contact than most pieces, from feet, laundry baskets and guests. Our fabrics are rated by Martindale rub count, where a higher number means more resistance to wear. Check which fabrics are offered for your collection on its product page, because the choice differs by collection.

What fabric should a storage ottoman have?

For a footrest that sees daily use, a higher rub count is the safer choice. Bouclé and corduroy look soft and textured, but they sit at the lower end. Our sofa fabric guide compares them in detail, and our guide to cleaning your sofa covers care by fabric.

Covers differ by collection. Ciello and Gaia describe removable, machine-washable upholstery that includes the base. Atmosphere covers are removable and washable. Bouclé covers are removable and machine washable, but we advise spot cleaning instead to maintain their look. Follow the care instructions on the product page. Orian and Neptune have removable seat and back cushion covers, with fixed covers on the base. Check the care instructions on the product page for your fabric before washing.

What other pieces offer both seating and storage?

An ottoman is only one option. These pieces from our range also combine a place to sit with a place to put things.

• Storage seats on our sofas: Atmosphere storage seats hold approximately 79 liters each, and Orian storage seats hold approximately 90 liters. Neptune hides storage inside each sleeper seat, about 23.2 x 22.8 x 5.5 inches per compartment.
• Long ottoman as a bench: the Atmosphere long ottoman is 40.6 x 20.1 x 18.1 inches, a bench-like shape that can sit at the foot of a sofa or beside a window.
• Ombra table: the Ombra coffee table has an open shelf and two pull-out ottomans that work as extra seats or footrests, with removable and washable covers.
• Storage coffee tables: our guide to coffee tables with storage compares the options in more detail.

For a condo or a small room, one storage ottoman plus a sofa with a storage seat gives you two places to put blankets and extra seating without adding any new furniture. Our living room storage guide covers shelving and units for the rest of the room.

Our recommendation

Pick the ottoman that matches your sofa, then check the room.

• Small living room or condo: the Neptune ottoman at 25.2 x 20.3 inches has the smallest footprint, with 32 liters of storage and the option to attach it as a chaise.
• Most stated storage: the Orian ottoman has 80 liters and the Atmosphere ottoman about 80 liters at 29.5 inches square. Ciello states 75 liters, and Gaia gives an interior size instead of a liter figure.
• Large, deep sofa and a big footrest: the Ciello or Gaia ottoman at 21.3 inches high, with 75 liters on Ciello.
• A bench-like piece: the Atmosphere long ottoman.
• Occasional extra seating: any of the five, with the weight guidance above in mind.

If you want help with the room, our team can look at it with you in a free design consultation.

Explore our seating

• Sectional sofas
• Sofa beds
• Living room storage

Product specifications can change. Check the current dimensions on the product page before ordering.