CHOOSING THE RIGHT SIZE
How Much Space Should I Leave Around An Ottoman?
An ottoman needs enough space around it to feel like part of the room rather than something everyone has to navigate around. The right amount will depend on where it sits, how you use it and what other furniture surrounds it.
🕓 3 min read | Expert advice from our ottoman stylist team
Quick Answer
As a general guide, aim to leave around 45–60cm of clear walking space around the sides of an ottoman where people regularly need to pass.
You may need more in a busy walkway or less where the ottoman sits close to another piece of furniture, such as a sofa or bed. The important thing is to measure the usable space around the ottoman, not simply whether the ottoman itself fits.
Extended Answer
How much walking space should I leave around an ottoman?
For an area you regularly walk through, around 45–60cm is a useful starting point.
That should give most people enough room to move comfortably without constantly turning sideways or catching the corner of the ottoman.
If it’s a particularly busy route through the room, however, be more generous. Think about how you actually move through the space rather than trying to make the largest possible ottoman fit.
DESIGN TIP Look at the negative space around your ottoman as part of the design. A little visible floor around a large ottoman helps show off its shape and fabric and prevents even a generously sized piece from feeling bulky. If every edge sits very close to another piece of furniture, the room can start to feel crowded.
How close should an ottoman be to a sofa?
If you’re using an ottoman as a coffee table or footstool, it naturally needs to sit closer to your seating.
You want it close enough to comfortably reach from the sofa without having to stand up every time you put down a book or cup, but with enough room to get in and out of the seating easily.
This is one of those occasions when how you intend to use your ottoman matters more than following an exact measurement.
EXAMPLE Imagine a king size bed around 150cm wide. Rather than automatically choosing an ottoman that’s also 150cm wide, you might choose something around 120–140cm wide, leaving a little of the bed visible at either side.
How can I check whether I’ve left enough room?
Before ordering, mark the proposed dimensions on your floor.
Masking tape works brilliantly, but sheets of newspaper, cardboard or even a folded bedsheet can help you visualise the footprint.
Then don’t just stand back and look at it. Walk around it. Sit on the sofa. Get into bed. Open the wardrobe. Pull out the drawers. Use the room normally.
BALANCE TIP Don’t judge the empty space on every side equally. An ottoman might sit quite close to a sofa because the two pieces are intended to work together, while needing considerably more room on the opposite side because that’s your main route through the room.
Expert Tip
When measuring, check the tightest point, not just the widest part of the room.
Radiators, fireplace hearths, door swings and furniture handles can all steal useful circulation space. A few centimetres in the wrong place can make much more difference than the overall room dimensions suggest.
And if you’ve found an ottoman you love but its standard dimensions make the surrounding space too tight, ask whether the size can be adjusted rather than immediately abandoning the design.
Key Takeaways
- Around 45–60cm is a useful starting point for regular walking space.
- Ottomans used with sofas can sit closer where easy reach is important.
- Consider doors, drawers and wardrobes as well as walking routes.
- Don’t assume every side of the ottoman needs the same amount of space.
- Mark the dimensions on the floor and actually move around them before ordering.
- A made-to-measure adjustment can help when a standard size is just a little too large.
IN THIS GUIDE
• How much walking space should I allow?
• How close can an ottoman sit to a sofa?
• What about an ottoman at the end of a bed?
• How can I check the size before ordering?
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