How to Choose a Footstool That Works as Extra Seating

The quiet hero of the living room

Footstools tend to be afterthoughts. Most of us add one in front of the sofa for putting our feet up and leave it at that. Yet a well chosen footstool can quietly do two jobs at once: a place to rest your legs after work, and a low seat for the guest who turns up unannounced on a Sunday afternoon. Once you start thinking of a footstool as flexible seating, the way you shop for one changes.

At Furniture in Fashion, we see a steady rise in shoppers looking for pieces that work harder in smaller rooms. Here is how to choose a footstool that earns its place when extra seating is needed.

Start with the right size

A footstool that doubles as a seat needs to be tall enough to sit on comfortably. A typical dining chair sits around 46cm high. Many footstools sit lower, closer to 35 to 40cm, which is fine for resting your feet but a little low for an adult to perch on for any length of time. If you want the option to use it as a seat, look at the higher end of the scale, or pick a pouffe with a generously padded top.

Width matters too. A round footstool around 50cm across will only seat one person. A long rectangular bench style stool around 90 to 110cm can take two adults at a push, or one adult with a small child.

Think about the top

The flat or curved shape of the top decides how comfortable it is to sit on. A firm, gently domed pad supports weight evenly and feels natural to perch on. A deeply buttoned top can be beautiful, but the buttons can dig in if someone sits there for an hour. If the room often hosts guests, a smooth, slightly firmer top is usually the better call.

Match the fabric to the room

Footstools take a lot of contact, so the fabric needs to handle it. Velvet looks elegant but shows marks if it sits beside a busy doorway. Linen feels relaxed and lived in. Boucle is soft and forgiving on knees. If your sofa is upholstered in a strong colour, you do not have to match the footstool exactly; a tonal shade often looks more considered.

If you already have fabric sofas in a neutral tone, a footstool in a slightly bolder shade gives the room a quiet anchor. For leather sofas, a soft fabric stool offers a welcome change in texture and stops the room feeling too uniform.

Add storage where you can

Lift top footstools are a smart choice in flats and family homes where there is never quite enough storage. Throws, board games, remotes, magazines and children's toys can all live inside, leaving the surface free for trays of tea or a guest to sit on. Check that the hinge feels solid, and that the lid lifts cleanly without pinching fingers.

Consider how easy it is to move

If the stool will move around the room often, weight matters. A solid wooden frame stool is heavy and stays where it is put. A lightweight pouffe is easy to pull across the room when more seats are needed. Castors can help with heavier stools, but they suit rooms with hard floors better than thick carpet.

Style it with a tray

A flat tray instantly turns a footstool into a side table. When friends arrive, lift the tray off and the stool is back in service as extra seating. A tray also stops drinks from sitting directly on the fabric, which keeps the top looking fresh for longer. This small accessory turns one piece of furniture into three jobs.

Look at the room as a whole

A footstool should sit comfortably alongside your other pieces, not compete with them. Browse the wider living room furniture range to see how stools, sofas and coffee tables work together. The aim is a room where every piece feels chosen, not collected at random.

Final thoughts

A footstool that doubles as a seat is one of the simplest upgrades a small living room can have. Pick the right height, a forgiving fabric and a top that someone could happily sit on for half an hour. Add a tray, and you have a piece that quietly switches between three roles without ever drawing attention to itself. For a wider look at options, our foot stools range covers buttoned, plain, storage and large bench styles.

FAQ

How tall should a footstool be if I want to sit on it?

Aim for 40 to 45cm. Anything lower is fine for resting your feet but can feel uncomfortable to sit on for long.

Is a buttoned footstool comfortable as a seat?

A lightly buttoned top is fine. Deeply tufted tops can dig in, so they suit footrest duty more than seating.

What size footstool seats two people?

A rectangular footstool around 90 to 110cm wide will comfortably take two adults for short periods.

Should the footstool match the sofa?

It does not need to match exactly. A tonal shade or a complementary texture usually looks more thoughtful than an identical fabric.