7 Fantastic Ways to Use Ottomans!

The ottoman has its roots in 18th century Turkey, at a time when the country was part of the Ottoman Empire.  These versatile pieces of furniture eventually made their way into European parlors and eventually to America.  The word “ottoman” can different images depending on the time and place, but it generally conveys a picture of a footstool or padded bench that is often used with a chair.

 

Today’s ottomans can be used for a wide variety of purposes and England Furniture invites you to consider our line of England Furniture ottomans, as well as some creative ways you can use ottomans in your favorite rooms.

 

England Furniture Ottomans - Midtown Parson and Jacob
England Furniture Ottomans – Midtown, Parson, and Jacob

 

Rest Your Weary Feet

Beginning with the obvious, ottomans are a great way to sit back and relax.  You can pair an ottoman with a comfy chair and use it as a place to rest your feet.  Be certain the ottoman your purchase not only matches the style and design of your chair, but is the right dimensions to be used by various people in the house for relaxation.

 

Extra Seating

Ottomans can be used as extra seating when the sofa and loveseats are filled up, and the rest of the chairs are already occupied.  Because ottomans are often quite small, they’re easy to tuck them away when you don’t need extra seats.

 

Extra Storage

Almost every living room or family room needs extra places to store items such as remote controls, toys, reading glasses and books, notepads, movies or games, etc.  Today’s ottomans include beautiful ottomans with a hinged top that provides a handy way to store items while also being able to disguise its storage abilities.

 

Coffee Table or End Table

Many people use ottomans as a primary or secondary table in the living room or family room.  Flat-topped ottomans are best suited for this purpose, but you can utilize most ottomans by placing a serving tray (or even a beautiful piece of wood) on the top of your ottoman.

 

Children’s Area

In relation with the “ottoman as table” idea above, some people use ottomans as a kind of kid’s table or deck.  This allows your child to have their own special area to play or study.  Storage ottomans can allow them to keep their favorite toys nearby.  If you plan to use your ottoman for this purpose, make sure you consider kid-friendly fabrics that can be easily cleaned.

 

Pet Beds

Some individuals, particularly those who may live in a small space, place a blanket on their ottoman and use it as a resting place for their cats or dogs.  Spot and Mrs. Kitty Boo-Boo need a place to rest too!

 

Show off Your Style

Finally, ottomans are increasingly becoming the centerpieces of some living room designs.  They’re a great way to add a clear indicator of the design, style, or colors you’re seeking to use in your living room or family room.  Ottomans can look casual in a rustic room, playful in a modern family room, or extravagant in a formal sitting room. The choice is yours!

 

 

Tips for pets and furniture

England Furniture pet beds

People love their pets, but furniture is an investment they want to preserve. Choosing the right furniture takes time, so when it is finally in the home, it must be maintained. Protecting your England Furniture from your pets involves some specific steps.

  1. Decide If the Pets are Allowed

It’s important to define clear boundaries with pets. Either they are consistently allowed on a piece of furniture, or they’re not. If they’re not, provide comfortable alternatives for the pets in the same room. Pets are social animals; they often want to be with their people. A dog bed or a cat tower in the same room will provide the animals a safe place to be with their family. Train the animal using vet-approved methods, such as offering treats to a dog for using the bed, or catnip on the cat tower. Encourage the animal to use their own furniture, and remind them consistently that the couch is for humans.

  1. Sweep and Wipe

Use a small whisk broom or vacuum for furniture, if the animals are allowed to sit with the humans. Simply clean the upholstery once a week to remove pet hair. Additionally, keep a towel by the door to wipe off paws coming back from a romp outside. Many dogs will look forward to the foot rub, and it’s vet recommended to clean a dog’s paws to remove any irritants from their time outside.

  1. Cover It Up

Many homes include attractive covers for the furniture, especially if pets are allowed on it. These covers come in a variety of designs and sizes. It is surprisingly common to cover furniture to protect its longevity, so these covers are easy to find. Simply clean the cover in the washing machine every week to keep the home sparkling clean and free of pet hair.

  1. Redirect and Offer Alternatives

Cat lovers know the cons of cat scratching which can destroy furniture. Keep a scratching post or pad near the furniture to deter the cat, and offer treats to kitty when she uses the post for scratching. Add catnip to the post or pad to attract the cat to the item, and away from the furniture. Additionally, offer a soft kitty bed near any furniture the cat may favor, and give the cat treats for using the kitty bed instead of the furniture for afternoon naps.

How to pick the right color for your furniture

Furniture is central to every room. They are first thing guests notice and often the topic of conversation. Having furniture that harmonizes with the color scheme of your room is key. This is why it can be difficult for furniture shoppers to find the perfect pieces for the home. However, it doesn’t have to be hard.

  1. Consider Color

It helps to know the colors of the existing furniture in the room, and the color of the walls or flooring. People have been known to bring paint swatches to a furniture store to make sure the furniture will look good in the room. Throw rugs have also been used to pull furniture together, and help the colors harmonize with each other. Pictures of existing furniture, floors, walls, or whole rooms also help when trying to buy new furniture that matches in color and style.  Also, be sure to explore the wide range of colored fabrics options available from England Furniture.

England Furniture Fabrics

  1. Accent

Consider accenting the room with chairs, cushions, pillows and blankets. People find that these options are inexpensive and easy to change as tastes or needs change. These items also add a personal touch to more permanent furniture, such as beds, couches, or dressers. Toss a blanket or throw pillow across the furniture, and the style changes to suit current needs. Remember to match the patterns of these items to the whole room.

  1. Consider Material

A leather couch matches better with darker colors, where micro-suede may work better with patterned prints. Consider the material of the furniture when purchasing accent pieces or new permanent furniture for the room. Remember to avoid too many loud pieces on the same piece of furniture, because this overwhelms the brain, and may make guests uncomfortable.

  1. Look Up, Look Down

Bring the room together by considering the floor and the walls when color-matching furniture. Use rugs to centralize the color scheme, and use wall hangings to enhance it. Adding a picture gives the room a pop of color, and adding a rug pulls the room together, creating a warmer, more comforting environment.

  1. Express Yourself

Remember to express your style when choosing a color scheme. Consider the family’s personality overall, and choose colors that show it off. The available color schemes are vast, giving individual families the opportunity to make a home their own, so it’s important to consider wants as well as needs. Bring beauty and personality to a room with a properly matched color scheme.

 

 

 

 

 

 

2015 England Furniture Employee Awards

Congratulations to the recipients of the Arnold Dwight England Award. This award goes to employees who best exemplify and represent the England Furniture brand, both in the workplace and in their community!

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We would like to thank these employees for 30 years of dedicated service here at the England Furniture Company.

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We would like to thank these employees for 20 years of dedicated service here at the England Furniture Company.

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We would like to thank these employees for 15 years of dedicated service here at the England Furniture Company.

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England Furniture Receives Seven Seals Award from National Guard

england-furniture-seven-seals-awardEngland Furniture recently won the Seven Seals Award from the National Guard. The Seven Seals Award is in recognition of a significant individual or organizational achievement, initiative, or support that promotes and supports the ESGR mission, to include the efforts of the more than 4,700 volunteers who carry out ESGR’s mission across the Nation on a daily basis.

We are honored to have received this award!

England Furniture Reviews the Lorenza Collection

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Leather won’t ever lose its charm and neither will this handsome silhouette.  The England Furniture Lorenza collection packs quite a punch with its impeccable style elements.  From its generous size and shelter arm to its optional nailhead trim and block leg, it’s sure to please!  We also offer standard down wrapped cushions and down blend pillows on this particular style to create a comfort oasis.  The collection includes a sofa, loveseat, chair, and ottoman.  Take a look at our England Furniture Keck for the fabric version.

England Furniture Reviews the Keck Series

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Our England Furniture Keck series achieves sophistication with ease.  Its shelter arm, generous size, optional nailhead trim, and block leg create a transitional style that’s hard to resist.  You’ll have to experience it to believe the indulgent comfort of its plush down wrapped cushions and down blend pillows.  We manufacture a sofa, loveseat, chair, and ottoman in this collection.  To see the leather version, take a look at our England Furniture Lorenza.

England Furniture Introduces Lanie and Manning Collections

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After you admire the decorative top stitching and nail head trim of the all leather Lanie collection, you can sit back and relax. Get lost in this beauty and comfort of the rolled arm, plush back, and tapered wood leg. This style is available as a sectional, reclining sofa, reclining loveseat and reclining chair to complete any room. See our Manning collection for fabric cover options.

England Furniture Introduces 3F00 Finneran

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Our England Furniture Finneran group is just the right mix of sass and class. From its round shape to its button tufted back and its tapered wooden leg to its gently sloping track arm, this is a true winner. Make a true statement of your style by selecting from a vast array of available fabric combinations. Available as a sofa, chair, and round sectional.

England Furniture Reviews Living Room Accessories

There are often a lot of items that can go into a living room and it’s important that they are arranged in a well-proportioned way. After you’ve arranged your living room furniture, you’ll need to begin the process of adding accessories in a balanced fashion. Here are a few tips to consider as you accessorize your living room.

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Television

  • If possible, multiply the diagonal width of the screen by three to determine the optimal viewing distance.
  • When trying to decide where to put your television remember that the bottom of the screen should be at chest level when you’re seated. While hanging a television above a mantel or on a wall is a bit popular, it’s not the best place and can cause you to strain your neck.

Window Treatments

  • When hanging a drapery rod it should be installed at least 2″ above the window frame and anywhere between 6″ and 16″ beyond each side.
  • Drapes and curtains should always kiss the floor. A very common decorating mistake is to hang curtains that are too short and don’t reach the floor.

Artwork

  • The most common places to hang artwork is above your sofa. If you’re going this route make sure to get a piece that isn’t too large or too small. The piece of art should be about two-thirds the width of the sofa.
  • To prevent the art from being too low, hang the bottom of the frame about 8″ to 10″ from the top of the sofa back.
  • If you want to use a few smaller pieces in a group the same rule more or less applies. Just be sure that the space between each frame is the same (around 2″ to 3″ is preferable).
  • Whenever you’re hanging art remember that it should be at eye-level. Many people make the mistake of hanging art too high.

Sconces

  • If you’re hanging sconces on either side of a mirror or artwork be sure to leave enough space for the piece in the center to breathe. The amount will depend on the size of the space, but be sure not to overcrowd.
  • The rules for hanging sconces are fairly similar to those for hanging art. The placement will always depend on the size of the wall, but you want to be careful not to hang them too high. Just above eye-level is ideal.