apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I have a similar dilemma (though less pressing as a coffee table is currently in my space). I like these two because they split the difference nicely - we use the extra storage below our coffee able for magazines and remotes.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/collection.do?method=get&id=377901&cat=109

http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=950&f=24426

The only issue is that they are both pricey... but maybe worth it.

Does anyone know of something similar in a lower price range?

You may want to consider a pouffe. I don't know if you know what this is in the US. Follow this ebay link to one that I think would go well in your room (you may want 2 for more versatility):
http://cgi.ebay.com/Soft-Brown-Leather-Patchwork-Pouffe-Ottoman-Foot-Stool_W0QQitemZ130150960799QQihZ003QQcategoryZ3196QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

There are DIY instructions here (please modify them to a more respectable look one because the sample they have is awful!)
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/dc_furniture_other/article/0,1793,HGTV_3445_1392501,00.html

I tend to like going the ottoman-as-coffee table route because of the way I've seen it work in other's places during parties. It gives you more seating and allows for easier conversations, even in a loud room. I am currently looking for a good ottoman for my own space.

I suggest cruising craigslist for a bit. I found some great options selling for a lot less than new ottomans. (Sadly, the gorgeous red leather ottoman I fell in love with was too large for my space, so I'm still hunting.)

By the way, where did you get your dining chairs? I love the form and have been looking for similar ones for my dining table.

I think you need to ask yourself the pros and cons of each. A good storage ottoman could be great. Put your feet up, rest glasses and papers on it, store stuff, use it for extra seating. But really nice/swanky storage ottomans dont come cheap. Yes you can find cheap ones but Im not sure they would fit your style. But you could get an ottoman and some nesting side tables. A coffee table can only do resting glasses, papers and maybe some storage--I guess you could put your feet up. You can go either way its just up to you and your budget.

How about an ottoman that serves as a place to put things (including your feet) Cb2 has the Hotel Ottoman- simple & at $349.00 not a huge investment.

http://www.cb2.com/ottomans/furniture/1

I would get something colorful.

There are ottomans where the top flips over so that you can have either a soft place to prop your feet or a hard surface to balance your cocktail. Like this (but there are nicer ones out there) http://www.ottomanshowroom.com/Reversible-Storage-Ottoman.htm

I'd put 2 in your space to use together in front of the couch or separately when you have a party.

Oh, and I'd lose the folding chair by the window.

thanks for your comments! keep them coming since i'm still undecided. no one seems to be suggesting glass, and maybe that's a good thing because i was originally leaning towards a glass coffee table so that it wouldn't feel so dark and heavy in the center of the room, but an ottoman seems like the most practical thing since i lack seating for guests.

harlie, i found those dining chairs in the basement of my boyfriend's parents house. they are my favorite piece of furniture! i also took the 3 bulb lamp (from the 80's) from one of their guest rooms and the red chair with the beige cushion. they thought i was so weird for wanting all those things they considered junk.

My two cents:

First off, I don't think your seating space is quite large enough to need an ottoman. I think an ottoman would be rather heavy on the eye. In a smaller space I would opt for something light.

The George Nelson pedestal table would be nice. A Warren Platner glass topped table would be absolutely awesome.

The other main concern for me here is that you have the wrong rug. The main thing is that it's way too small. It needs to expand nearly to the TV. I think you need something a bit warmer and perhaps something with more interest (a pattern). My vote would be a nice oriental rug or a simple 2 color rug with a floral patterned silhouette.

I don't see an ottoman in your space, which I think will bog down the nice, light feeling you have. I think an oval glass coffee or lacquer coffee table would be best, this one is very reasonable: http://www.eurway.com/tables.lasso?itemid=4210&categorykey=97&subcategorykey=13&page=1&result=&-session=eo_user:0CC40062163e32795BwQo2ACC0AA

This one is also not bad pricewise, may be a little too shiny: http://www.boconcept.us/default.aspx?id=75253&ImageID=3393

Or the eames surfboard is a classic: http://www.retromodern.com/item_detail.asp?2369

Ikea also has a nice basic oval coffee table but it's in a color of wood I don't like for your space, may be worth spraypainting it.

about the rug. we didn't have one originally, but my cousin gave me that one to me for free. i don't love it, but it works for now. we have to make purchases one at a time since we don't have the budget to buy everything at once, but at this rate it will take years! i do like the idea of a simple 2 color rug however. thanks!

I always steer my clients away from glass top tables unless they employ a maid on a regular basis. I like natural materials. This has been a favorite table for a long time and it may work for you. The smaller table can also be used as an end table or extra seating for low dining.

http://www.vivaterra.com/pls/enetrixp/!stmenu_template.main?complex_id_in=482007.484184.1062178.2006280.page

I like offi's scando table--a nice curvy shape and very reasonably priced:
http://www.offi.com/products/tables/scando.php#top

or their storage bench, which comes with a cushion, so is sort of a hybrid:
http://www.offi.com/products/seating/benchboxcastersu.php

I feel the same way as eeeck - an ottoman could be too heavy in such a light, airy space. I was picturing a vintage lane or eames surfboard coffe table, too. Love the lines of the couch, by the way.

I definitely don't see an ottoman - PoppyTalk showcased this very cool formica coffee table recently. I can see going with something like this to complement your funky dining chairs...

I do see an ottoman, maybe not first choice, but a light colored round ottoman would look nice against the rectangular carpet-but pref something with legs, not solid all the way to the floor!!

I agree with everyone that has suggested a bright color. This coffee table design has a glass top AND a bright color. It's square with rounded edges, but it's nice and light looking.

trace table

Aside from this, I'd suggest finding something classic like the Nelson pedestal table or some nice Danish modern piece. Danish modern teak tables are everywhere, so you can usually get a good deal one. A lot of them have a book/magazine storage level under the top level.

I agree that you should soften up the feeling a bit. I have a pb square sofa, chair, and ottoman and when you get them all in a room together that feels like a whole lot of square.

I love the idea of adding natural materials to you space and I like the idea of these round seagrass covered numbers

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p5329/index.cfm?pkey=cfuroccall

Even a vintage round wicker coffee table

Or a beautiful Leather ottoman

I also like the idea of adding more color to the room and that would be up to your personal preference... Orange or Reddish would feel good to me

Sort of depends on function, no?

Are you "feet up" people, using the couch mostly for lounging?
Then an ottoman.

Or do you eat dinner in front of the TV from the couch?
Then a table.

There are enough choices out there for either to make it work visually. Base it on how you live, first.

Your space looks similar in size to my own, so I agree with everyone who says the ottoman would be too heavy. We have one, and though I love it as extra seating on the rare occasion when we need it for such, most of the time I feel like it has totally closed in our living area. Also the need for a tray whenever I want to put down a drink, is somewhat annoying.

I'm going to replace the ottoman with a streamlined, simple and open table. Then if I find need more storage, I will put baskets or decorative boxes underneath.

I have a glass coffee table, and for my space, I just live for it, because although I love how my dark brown leather furniture looks, I just couldn't have one more opaque thing in there, so it's better for me to have glass (OK, it's also got dark wood), but yes, I do have to clean the glass kind of a lot.

But I think that the shape and the sort of "step-down" aspect of that duo one that Anne shows is really nice with the shape of your sofa.

And I agree with the person who suggested a larger rug.

I agree with Patrick (the other one) who said you have to decide if you're "feet up" people, etc. Also, what do guests seem to want to do when they're over? I went through this exact dilemma myself and went with reversible top ottomans from Jennifer convertibles; one pair was $200 and came in a very light beige microfiber. The color works for me (I have a red sofa).
Anyway after seeing more than one friend try to put their feet up on the storage cube I'd been using as a coffee table, I knew that I wanted some kind of ottoman. And the storage factor is nice--I have CD's and some other stuff in one, quilts in the other and room to spare.

I also agree with patrick (the other one)--function before form. But if you want an ottoman that is not too heavy (that's a problem if you want something that has storage--I used to have a storage ottoman, but got rid of it because it really closed up the room) and can double as a coffee table, here is an affordable option from crate and barrel that I've been eying for a while: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=1045&f=12175

I like the one Anne suggested.

I'd say - decide between the ottoman and the table based on function, not appearance. Me, I couldn't deal without my table - where would I put my drink, my book, my glasses? My Goran Warff glass has *always* been on the coffee table. You may not or may not need these functionalities, but if you do and you decide to get an ottoman because it's softer looking, you will not be happy. Once the function is decided, then think about the look. Cheers, Joanne

Do you have a decent Salvation Army or similar type of thrift shop in your area? You could try both scenarios by purchasing something in a scale that you are considering for the space, without spending a lot of money. And, when you're decided on the final piece, re-donate the item back to the thrift shop. We did that for several "undecided's" in our living room and it saved us a ton of money because we got to try our ideas before committing to something that might not have worked.

There is also the added benefit of possibly finding a cool retro/modern piece for cheap money, too.

perhaps it may be the photos but i think your room is a bit lacking in vertical balance.

towards the kitchen you can see much more of the floor and everything seems weighted more towards the centre. your living room with the cabinets, shelves and similar height seating keeps the weight of the space lower. as others have said, an ottoman would just add to this and make it feel really dense.

i'm all for a danish teak modern to complement your sofa or something similar to what anne has suggested. but then again i'm a huge fan of reclaimed wood on 1/2" steel!

I agree with the suggestion that you replace the rug with a bigger, non-neutral, more colorful one. The minimum size you buy should reach from beneath the couch to within 6 inches of the large cabinet on the opposite side of the room and should be sufficiently wide so that the couch can sit centered on it with generous rug exposed on either end.

Assuming that you like putting your feet up and eating/drinking in the space. I suggest getting two or three small storage ottomans that could be placed in corners or either end of the sofa when not in use. The flippable tray/top type would likely work best. There are coffee tables that fulfill the same purposes, such as the "Streamliner coffee table" at ZGallerie. However, I'm not sure your space is big enough to support its size.

Good Luck!

I went with a rectangular leather ($300) ottoman. I have a sectional and it creates room for everyone to put their feet up and have foodies while watching the game or reading. It really serves multiple functions:

- coffee table
- seating
- eating (get a nice serving tray and ta da!)
- storage (f you get one with a flip top -I'm debating trading up for this feature)
- Bedding (I've seen a couple that fold out to twin beds)

As for the floor I honored my Wisconsin roots with the cow FLOR pattern and LOVE IT!

http://www.cb2.com/family.aspx?c=170&f=3534