When buying a corner sofa with an ottoman online, the key decision is what you want the ottoman to do. If it is for putting your feet up, match its height to the sofa seat within a couple of centimetres. If it is for storage, check the internal depth and the lid mechanism. If it is occasional seating, look at the frame strength and the top surface. One ottoman rarely excels at all three, so choose the priority before you choose the sofa.
Everything else follows from that: the size, the shape, the upholstery and where it sits in the room.
A corner sofa already provides generous seating. The ottoman adds flexibility, and in a British home that usually means three things at different times of the week.
On a quiet evening it extends the seat, turning a chaise into something closer to a daybed. When guests arrive it becomes extra perching space. And in a flat with limited cupboards, a storage ottoman quietly absorbs throws, spare bedding, board games and the toys that otherwise live on the floor.
The piece also solves a visual problem. Corner sofas wrap around an empty area of floor, and in a larger room that centre can look hollow. An ottoman fills it without blocking sightlines the way a tall piece of furniture would.
Many corner sofas are sold with a coordinating ottoman in the same fabric. The alternative is buying the two separately.
A matched set gives exact fabric continuity, which matters most with plain upholstery where any difference in tone is obvious. Dye lots vary slightly between production runs, so buying at the same time reduces the risk of a visible mismatch.
Buying separately gives you freedom. A contrasting ottoman in leather, velvet or a textured weave can lift a plain sofa and stop the arrangement looking like a showroom display. It also lets you choose a size and height that suits your room rather than the one the manufacturer paired with the sofa.
If you go the separate route, bring one element across. Share the leg finish, or pick an ottoman tone already present in your cushions or rug. Our modern foot stools UK sale range covers both matching and contrasting options in a spread of fabrics.
This is the detail that separates an ottoman that gets used from one that gets pushed against a wall.
For footrest use, the ottoman should sit level with the sofa seat or up to 3cm lower. Any higher and your legs angle upwards uncomfortably. Any lower and the gap between the seat edge and the ottoman becomes a place your heels drop into.
Measure your sofa seat height from the floor to the top of the uncompressed cushion, then subtract a centimetre or two to account for how much the seat sinks when you sit on it. Most UK sofa seats fall between 42cm and 50cm.
If the ottoman will also serve as an occasional table with a tray on top, a slightly lower height still works. If it is primarily extra seating, aim for the higher end of the range, since a very low seat is hard to rise from.
Match the ottoman roughly to the width of the sofa section it will sit in front of. As a guide, aim for something between half and two thirds the length of that run.
Rectangular ottomans suit long chaise sections and double as a footrest for two people. Square designs sit neatly in the open corner of an L shape layout. Round ottomans soften an angular room and are easier to walk past, which helps in a narrow space.
Leave at least 35cm between the ottoman and the sofa if you want a walkway, or push it flush against the seat if you intend to use it as a bed extension. Both are valid, but decide which before choosing the size.
Also consider whether the ottoman needs to move. Lightweight designs get repositioned daily. Large storage ottomans with heavy frames tend to stay where they are put, which is fine if that spot works permanently.
Storage is the most common reason people add an ottoman, and the specifications vary more than the photographs suggest.
Check the internal dimensions rather than the external ones. Upholstery, padding and the frame can absorb 8cm or more on each side, so a generous looking ottoman may have a surprisingly modest interior.
Look at the lid mechanism. A simple lift off top is cheapest and means finding somewhere to put the lid while you are rummaging. Hinged lids stay attached, and gas lift supports hold the lid open safely, which matters in homes with children.
Consider the interior lining too. A lined interior protects bedding and textiles from rough timber, while an unlined box is better suited to toys and hard items.
Finally, think about what will sit on top. If the ottoman doubles as a table, a firm padded top with a tray works. A heavily buttoned or deeply padded lid will not hold a drink steady.
An ottoman takes different punishment from a sofa. Shoes, feet, trays and the occasional child standing on it all land on the top surface.
That argues for a hard wearing fabric with a decent rub count, and for mid tones or patterns rather than very pale plains. Leather and faux leather wipe clean easily, which suits homes where the ottoman doubles as a table. Chenille and textured weaves feel warmer and hide marks well. Velvet looks handsome and shows footmarks on the pile, so brush it occasionally.
Check the care code before ordering, shown as W, S, WS or X, since it determines what you can use to clean a spill. Ottomans get marked more often than sofas simply because their top surface is horizontal.
Treat the ottoman as part of the sofa footprint, not an afterthought. Tape both outlines on the floor together and check your walkways still work with the ottoman in place.
Remember delivery access. An ottoman is usually the easy part, though large storage designs can be bulkier than expected. Check whether it arrives assembled or with legs to attach, which is common and takes only a few minutes.
Read the product page for leg style, since swapping between dark and light feet changes how the piece sits alongside the sofa. Some designs ship with alternative legs included.
When browsing our corner sofas UK sale collection, note whether the ottoman shown in the images is included in the listed price or sold separately, as this varies between ranges.
Ottomans are often treated as accessories, which means their construction gets less scrutiny than the sofa’s. That is a mistake if the piece will carry weight.
Look for a timber frame rather than a purely composite box, particularly on storage designs where the lid and sides take repeated stress. Check how the legs attach: bolted fittings into a reinforced block hold up far better than screws driven straight into a thin panel.
Padding depth affects longevity too. A generously padded top retains its shape longer than a thin layer of foam over board, which compresses within months of daily footrest use and starts to show the outline of the frame beneath.
If the ottoman will live in a sunny spot, remember that fabric fades at a different rate from the sofa it sits beside. Keeping both out of prolonged direct sunlight preserves the match between them.
Once in place, the combination works best with a little discipline. Keep the ottoman top mostly clear, with a tray for drinks and a folded throw. A storage ottoman only helps if the interior stays organised, so use fabric boxes or dividers inside rather than letting everything settle into one layer.
Rotate the ottoman occasionally if it is used heavily on one side, and plump the top if it is fibre filled. If the fabric matches the sofa, rotating both together keeps the wear consistent.
For rooms where the ottoman doubles as seating, a pair of smaller ottomans is often more useful than one large one. They tuck under a console or a coffee table when not needed and pull out when the room is busy. Our modern storage furniture UK range includes complementary pieces if you need more capacity than an ottoman alone can provide.
At Furniture in Fashion you can compare corner sofas and coordinating ottomans across the same fabric families, with free delivery to most UK mainland postcodes.
Not necessarily. Matching gives a cohesive look, while a contrasting fabric adds interest. If you buy separately, share one detail such as the leg finish or a colour from your cushions.
Level with the sofa seat or up to 3cm lower. Measure the seat height from the floor to the top of the cushion before ordering.
Usually yes, since they use floor space you would occupy anyway. Check the internal dimensions rather than the external ones, as padding reduces capacity noticeably.
Most take occasional seating comfortably. For regular use, choose a firmer top and a sturdier frame, and check any stated weight guidance.
Between half and two thirds the length of the sofa section it sits in front of. Tape the outline on the floor alongside the sofa to confirm the walkways still work.
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