If you have a small living space, you might feel a little restricted when it comes to choosing what style of furniture, or indeed how much furniture you can fit inside it. It can be a bit challenging, we know, and more than a little frustrating when you’re wishing you had that extra few feet to work with. Adding large poufs? Oversized ottoman chairs? Lanna Passa team, you’re joking, surely? But hear us out—it’s not just possible; it can be the big change your room needs, adding a comfortable and stylish dimension while doubling as a functional focal point.
Whether it’s a leather ottoman, an ethnic fabric pouf, or a big round floor cushion, these oversized pieces are not just for large rooms—they also look great in smaller spaces. Just take a moment and think about a nice, large, plush ottoman centered in a beautifully designed small room. Maybe you picture a space with tall ceilings or a little eclectic design mess around the place, or maybe you’re just envisioning the room you’re in. Whatever it is, bring the focus to the ottoman. Everything else is just background, framing the ottoman as the central piece of the space.
Now, unless you’re a little weird, if you’re thinking about your ideal interior with a nice ottoman in the center, it’s an image you think is visually appealing. So, if it works in your head, there’s no reason it can’t work in reality, right? No? Still not convinced? Ok, let’s go a bit deeper.
Can oversized ottomans and poufs fit in small spaces?
Can a large floor cushion really fit in a tiny living room without it looking like something from ‘Hoarders’? The short answer is – absolutely. We know it seems counterintuitive, but oversized ottomans and poufs really can make your small space feel extra open.
- Firstly, as we previously mentioned, a large ottoman or pouf can serve as a focal point, attracting the eye and making the space appear larger than it is.
- A good ottoman or pouf cushion can multitask like a champion, so you can use them for additional seating, a coffee table, or even storage, both eliminating the need for extra furniture and freeing up more real estate for it to shine.
- Finding the right size for your space is key. There are limits, of course—a too-small ottoman can appear lost, whereas an overly large one will dominate the space, but you can go large without overpowering the rest of your interior elements.
- Ottoman poufs are typically quite lightweight and easy to move, especially if made from textiles and fabric. You can easily give it a quick repositioning to satisfy your needs or shop them while they are not in use.
What ottoman shapes are best for a smaller living room?
The same ottoman in different shapes can change the look or use completely. As an example, check out our three piece set of water hyacinth ottoman poufs. Each piece in the set is a different shape and can create a completely different look when placed in a room.
Believe it or not, the shape and size of a pouf or ottoman cushion can actually change or enhance the perceived dimensions of a room. Think about optical illusions and how lines and shapes together can affect how your brain processes what you are seeing. Now, we’re not saying that using certain-shaped cushions will start making you hallucinate, but there are psychological effects of incorporating lines, shapes, patterns, and prints into your home decor.
Cube-shaped ottomans
Cube-shaped ottomans and poufs are amazing modern modular furnishings, if a little difficult to work at times due to their large shape and sharper angles. Despite this, they are versatile and can mix seamlessly into quite a few interior design looks, especially in patterned fabric form. Fabric designs can range from smooth and present-day to playful and eclectic, but if the shape is an equally sided cube, it’ll be kind of set in terms of height and width. The problem with this is that a classic cube shape offers little in terms of changing the perceived height or width of your room, like a tall or flat ottoman can. But, with that said, they can still work in smaller living areas and look great in contemporary spaces.
So how do you work with cube cushions and ottomans to enhance an interior and make it look more roomy? The trick is to flatten the cube, like in the picture above. This flat but wide shape creates the illusion of higher ceilings and a larger vertical space in your living area.
Round or cylindrical poufs
Round or cylindrical ottomans and poufs exude classic elegance. They are best for giving your room a soft, homely look and are also our favorite shape, as you can see from the ottomans and poufs section in our store. Whether you like the simple lines of contemporary design or the romantic charm of shabby chic, there is usually a round ottoman to match your style, with the added bonus of varying heights—tall, short, or wide, each with the same cylindrical shape. For smaller spaces, you can play with the height of the ottoman itself to add perceived depth and space to the room.
Rectangular ottomans
A rarer find than a round or cube-shaped cushion, but a popular shape, especially as footrests and small bench ottomans. Consider arranging them in stack-like building blocks to add height to the cushion feature as a whole, or go for a flat but long design that adds the illusion of height to your room. We love the straight-up plump cushion style, but if you add legs to a long ottoman cushion, wooden or otherwise, you can make a fantastic seated bench sofa.
Custom ottoman cushions made just for you
We are able to create cushions made to your specifications, whether it’s a small pouf, an extra large fabric ottoman, or anything in between. We craft our unique poufs and cushions using a wide range of authentically sourced tribal textiles and offer organic kapok as a cushion filling, which is both eco-friendly and incredibly comfortable. Feel free to contact us and let us know what you have in mind.
& that’s it. Hopefully this article inspired you a little and made you reconsider incorporating larger floor cushions into smaller spaces. Until the next one!
