Bedroom Ottoman Guide: How to Choose, Size, and Style One

Reading Time: 12 minutes

The bedroom ottoman is one of those pieces of furniture that earns its keep quietly. It does not dominate a room the way a bed or a wardrobe does, but remove it and something feels missing. It is the place you sit to put on shoes, the surface where you fold laundry before it makes it to the drawer, the footrest for reading in bed, and in the storage variety, the hiding place for extra blankets, off-season clothing, or anything else that needs a home that is not a closet.

At Mattress Miracle, we think about the bedroom as a complete sleep environment, which means paying attention to everything that makes the room more functional and more comfortable. An ottoman is part of that equation. This guide covers how to choose the right one, where to put it, and what to avoid.

What Is a Bedroom Ottoman?

An ottoman is an upholstered seat or footrest without a back or arms. The name comes from the Ottoman Empire, where low cushioned seating was a furniture staple. In contemporary home design, ottomans appear in living rooms, bedrooms, and entryways in a range of sizes and configurations.

In a bedroom context, ottomans typically serve one of three purposes:

• Seating: A surface to sit on when getting dressed, putting on shoes, or when a second person in the room needs somewhere to sit that is not the bed
• Footrest: A surface to rest legs on while sitting on the bed or in a reading chair
• Storage: A hidden storage unit that happens to look like upholstered furniture from the outside

The best bedroom ottomans do more than one of these things at once. A storage ottoman at the foot of a bed, for instance, provides seating, a surface to sit on when making the bed, and contains extra bedding or off-season clothing that would otherwise take up closet space.

Types of Bedroom Ottomans

Ottomans come in enough configurations that it is worth mapping the main types before looking at sizing and placement.

Storage Ottomans

Storage ottomans have a hinged or removable lid that reveals an interior storage compartment. They are the most practical bedroom ottoman type. The storage volume varies considerably: a compact 60 cm cube ottoman might hold a few throws and pillows; a 120 cm bench-style storage ottoman can hold a full duvet, several blankets, and off-season clothing.

Look for storage ottomans with a sturdy hinge system and a lid that stays open when you need to access the interior. A lid that drops closed unexpectedly is both annoying and a potential finger hazard.

Upholstered Bench Ottomans

A bench-style ottoman is elongated (typically 90-150 cm wide) and rectangular, designed to sit across the foot of the bed. Some have storage, many do not. They are the most common bedroom ottoman type and the one most people picture when they hear "bedroom ottoman." They provide seating and visual grounding at the foot of the bed without the height of a footboard.

Tufted Ottomans

Tufted ottomans have the characteristic diamond or grid button-tufted pattern on the upholstered surface. This is a decorative technique that also prevents the upholstery from shifting over time. Tufted ottomans tend to read as more traditional or formal, making them a natural fit for rooms with a classic or transitional aesthetic.

Cube and Square Ottomans

Cube ottomans (roughly equal dimensions on all sides, typically 40-50 cm) are versatile and mobile. They can serve as seating, as a footrest beside a chair, or as an impromptu surface for a tray of items. In a bedroom, a pair of cube ottomans can serve as matching side elements flanking a reading chair or a vanity bench. They are easier to move around than fixed bench ottomans and work well in smaller bedrooms where flexibility is valuable.

Poufs and Floor Cushions

A pouf is a low, round, unstuffed or loosely stuffed floor cushion that functions similarly to an ottoman. They have a more casual and relaxed quality than structured ottomans and work well in rooms with a bohemian, Moroccan, or relaxed coastal aesthetic. They are generally less durable than structured ottomans for heavy daily use as seating but excellent as decorative accents or secondary footrests.

Ottoman Sizing Guide

Sizing is where most bedroom ottoman purchases go wrong. An ottoman that is too small looks like a decorating afterthought. One that is too large crowds the room and makes moving around the bed difficult. Here is how to get the size right.

For the Foot of the Bed

The standard placement for a bedroom ottoman is at the foot of the bed. The ottoman width should be roughly two-thirds to three-quarters of the bed width. This proportional rule keeps things visually balanced.

Leave at least 45-60 cm of clearance between the ottoman and the foot of the bed for comfortable circulation. This is particularly important in smaller bedrooms where space is already tight.

Height

Ottoman height relative to your mattress top is what determines how comfortable it is to sit on. If the ottoman height is within about 5-8 cm below your mattress surface, sitting on it feels natural: you are at approximately the same height as you would be sitting on the bed edge. If the ottoman is significantly lower than your mattress, it feels like sitting on the floor. If it is higher, it feels like a step stool.

Measure the height of your mattress surface from the floor before buying. Include the mattress and bed frame combined height. Most platform beds sit 30-45 cm off the floor, and most mattresses add 20-30 cm. A typical combined mattress surface height of 50-65 cm means an ottoman height in the 45-60 cm range works well.

Depth

For bench-style ottomans, depth (front to back) of 40-55 cm is the most comfortable for sitting. Deep enough to sit on comfortably without legs dangling awkwardly, but not so deep that it becomes a piece of furniture to climb onto rather than sit on naturally.

Where to Place a Bedroom Ottoman

The foot of the bed is the most common and most practical position, but it is not the only one. Here are the main placement options and when each works.

Foot of the Bed

The classic placement. It grounds the bed visually, provides a seating surface for getting dressed, and in a storage configuration holds extra blankets or bedding. For this position, a bench-style ottoman in a width proportional to the bed (see sizing guide above) works best.

Beside a Reading Chair

If your bedroom has a reading chair, an ottoman beside it to use as a footrest is one of the most comfortable bedroom seating configurations possible. A cube or round ottoman in a size appropriate to the chair (roughly half the chair's seat depth) works well here. It can be pushed aside when not in use and pulled close when you are settled in for reading.

At the End of a Dressing Area

A small cube ottoman or pouf at the end of a dressing area gives you somewhere to sit while putting on shoes or pulling on trousers. It is a small convenience that makes a noticeable difference to morning routines. A compact 45-50 cm cube ottoman works well here without crowding the dressing area.

Paired as a Coffee Table Alternative

In a bedroom with a sitting area separate from the sleeping space, a large round or square ottoman can substitute for a coffee table. Add a tray on the surface for stability and to provide a flat surface for drinks and books. This is particularly effective in large master bedrooms or hotel-style bedroom designs.

Fabric Selection for Bedroom Ottomans

The fabric on a bedroom ottoman needs to handle regular use without looking worn, match the room's aesthetic, and be practical enough for daily life. The same considerations apply here as for bedroom chairs (see our full bedroom furniture chairs guide), but with a few ottoman-specific factors.

Durability at the Seat Surface

Ottomans are sat on, put bags and clothes on, and occasionally used as a step. The top surface takes considerably more wear than a chair back or arm. Choose fabrics rated for high rub count (the Wyzenbeek rub test: look for 25,000+ double rubs for a daily-use bedroom ottoman). Linen and lightweight cotton can struggle here; performance fabrics, velvet, and leather hold up better.

Colour and Pattern

The ottoman at the foot of the bed is a prominent visual element in the room. A solid colour that picks up an accent from your bedding or wall colour creates cohesion. A subtle texture (boucle, velvet, herringbone weave) adds visual interest without the commitment of a bold pattern.

If your bedroom is already pattern-heavy (a patterned duvet, patterned curtains), a solid ottoman provides visual relief. If the room is predominantly solid, an ottoman with a simple geometric or textural pattern adds dimension.

Velvet

Velvet is a popular bedroom ottoman fabric and suits the bedroom context well. It is luxurious-feeling, available in rich colours, and has a warmth that suits a sleep space. The practical concern (pet hair, lint) is worth managing with a lint roller. For a daily-use ottoman in a pet household, performance velvet is the more forgiving choice.

Leather and Faux Leather

Leather and quality faux leather wipe clean, which is useful if the ottoman also gets used for bags or items brought in from outside. However, leather can feel cold in a bedroom context and has a more formal quality that does not suit all bedroom aesthetics. It is a practical choice for a minimalist or contemporary bedroom.

Ottomans and Bedroom Comfort

At Mattress Miracle, we think about bedroom furniture in terms of how it contributes to a genuinely comfortable sleep environment. An ottoman is a small but real part of that.

The Pre-Sleep Routine Connection

The bedroom ottoman is often the place where the end-of-day routine happens: sitting down to remove shoes, setting out the next day's clothes, doing a brief stretch before bed. Having a comfortable, appropriately sized ottoman makes these rituals more pleasant, and ritual is genuinely important to sleep quality. A consistent, physical pre-bed routine signals to the body that sleep is coming. The ottoman is part of the physical stage set for that routine.

Extra Blanket Access

One of the most practical sleep-related uses for a bedroom storage ottoman is as a blanket reserve. Many people sleep at different temperatures at different points in the night, or have different temperature preferences than a partner. A storage ottoman at the foot of the bed with an extra blanket inside means a cold sleeper can reach for additional warmth without getting up and searching through a closet. It is a small thing that genuinely improves comfort on cold Ontario winter nights.

Speaking of cold nights: if you find yourself regularly waking up cold regardless of blanket situation, the mattress itself may be part of the issue. Some older mattresses compress over time and lose their insulating properties. The Restonic Luxury Silk and Wool Queen at $2,395, with its 884 zoned coils and natural fibre comfort layers, is designed specifically for temperature regulation across the night. Come talk to us at Mattress Miracle if that sounds like a conversation worth having.

Avoiding Bedroom Clutter

The enemy of good sleep is a visually cluttered bedroom. Research from the National Sleep Foundation confirms that people with cluttered bedrooms report significantly lower sleep quality than those with tidy, organised spaces. A storage ottoman is one of the most effective ways to reduce visible clutter: items that would otherwise sit on a chair, a dresser top, or the floor find a home inside the ottoman where they are out of sight. The room feels calmer. Sleep follows more easily.

If you are working on your whole bedroom sleep environment, our guides on bedroom houseplants and calming bedroom colours are natural companions to this one. The mattress is the foundation; the environment around it matters more than people expect.

Styling Tips for Bedroom Ottomans

A few practical styling notes that make a difference to how the ottoman reads in the room.

Add a Tray

A decorative tray on top of an ottoman (particularly a round or square one used as a coffee table alternative) provides a stable surface for a book, a candle, or a small plant. It also signals to visitors that this is a surface item rather than a pure seating surface, which helps preserve the upholstery from surface scratches.

Fold a Throw

A folded throw blanket laid across a bench ottoman at the foot of the bed is one of the simplest and most effective bedroom styling moves. It adds texture, connects the ottoman colour to the bedding colour if chosen thoughtfully, and keeps the blanket accessible for evening use.

Keep It Proportional

The most common styling mistake is an ottoman that is too small for the bed it is paired with. A 60 cm wide ottoman at the foot of a king bed looks lost. When in doubt, go wider rather than narrower. A slightly too-wide ottoman reads as confident; a too-small one reads as an afterthought.

Match the Leg Finish

If your ottoman has legs (many do not), match the leg finish to another metal or wood element in the room: the bed frame, the lamp base, the dresser hardware. This is a small detail that creates a sense of cohesion that is hard to articulate but easy to notice when it is right.

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• Calming Colours for Your Bedroom
• Good Quality Bedroom Furniture: What to Look For