A couple of years ago, my sister handed down her sofa and ottoman to us. Those pieces have served us well but, after purchasing our new leather couches we sold the old sofa via craigslist. I decided though, to keep the ottoman. I feel pretty confident saying that it's the biggest ottoman in the world. It's pretty much its own island.
The surface area is 51.5" x 51.5". That is more then 4' across!
It's so big that our 100 lb+ yellow lab uses it for his afternoon naps, and
it serves as an awesome wrestling mat, a diaper changing station,
and of course the go-to, a foot rest.
The most unfortunate thing about its design is that it doesn't open up for storage.
Can you imagine how much junk you could fit in there?
The clear question after purchasing our two new sofas, was what would go in front of them. Functionally, the ottoman works great, and with the age of our kids and our friends kids, the soft round corners fit with our lifestyle. I definitely envision us upgrading to a large coffee table (or two paired together to fill the space) a few years down the road, but for the time being, there's no reason to part with this beast.
But, that doesn't mean I plan on leaving it how it is.
Enter, the slipcover.
This Furbish Studio Ottoman (going for 1k), was what kick started this idea.
Well, 1k wouldn't do it for an ottoman only meant to last a few more years, so I started looking at upholstery fabric. Fabric makes my heart go pitter-patter. Before I could become overwhelmed by options, I decided to go with a good ole' standby, this gray ticking stripe.
I chose it, because I love stripes. Anyway you draw them: ticking, cabana, pin, vertical, horizontal, pencil, rugby, you name it. I feel its best to use a fabric that you know you won't tire of on a piece like this. Trendier and more seasonal prints are great choices for smaller things like pillows and throws, but for a larger piece that will be a focal point go with something that you know you'll continue to love. Oh, and it was like $9.00 a yard, so yeah, that may have swayed me too.
I had to wait patiently for it to arrive, and then, when it did...I wasn't happy with it.
Womp, womp, womp.
The background was far more white than I anticipated, leaving us feeling that the fabric was too light for the already light room. And, the scale of the stripes was too small for the piece. Amateur mistake. So, in an effort not to settle, I'm continuing my fabric hunt until I find just the right option. This time I'll be ordering some samples, and I'm trying to convince myself to save up a few pennies and maybe go with a higher end print that will really make a statement. I do have a few requirements that I'm keeping in mind: it needs to camouflage dirt well, have a nice weight to it, and be washable. Some prints that I'm considering:
Lacefield's Bindi Paisley
This might countrify the living room a bit too much,
but I love me some buffalo check.
This would push my comfort zone a bit,
but I think it would be awesome.
I've ordered this large 26" rattan nautical tray to sit atop the ottoman.
My first order arrived damaged, so now I'm waiting on its replacement.
Heres to hoping it arrives in better shape.
I do however love the look for the awesomely affordable price,
and it's scale on our ottoman is perfect.
When this piece is all said and done, I think it's going to make a dramatic statement in the room, and I wish I could have the whole project completed tomorrow. But good design takes time, and I'm learning, a good dose of patience as well. The other detail I'm waivering on, is my ability to tackle this simple sewing job myself (insert tears and sweat), or to take it to a professional ($$).
So, what's your favorite of the fabric options?
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