Along with thinking about an ottoman’s usage and designs, you need to understand the different material choices. The choice of fabrics affects the ottoman’s overall durability, application, and usability in different parts of the home. The most common and some lesser-known ottoman material choices include:
Velvet Ottomans
Velvet is considered a premium ottoman fabric choice. It adds detail with its rich texture. The natural sheet of velvet stands unmatched with some types of suedes coming a close second. Generally recommended for the more decorative and luxurious models, a velvet ottoman represents the higher end of the upholstery. Choosing a velvet ottoman for everyday and rigorous usage is perhaps not a good idea. Velvety ottoman functions more as a decorative element—buy it for the right reasons! Velvet ottomans are considered statement-makers, dressed in a classic fabric that adds grandeur rather than being used vigorously which can dampen its grandeur. The fabric does warrant a bit of extra care as the smallest stains can ruin the looks.
Leather Ottomans
Leather ottomans can serve you for a long time as genuine leather tends to be durable, and ages decently. Leather ottomans seem to have more resistance to general wear & tear as compared to other ottoman fabrics. Not easily vulnerable to creasing, folding, and tearing, leather does retain stains easily. If the intention is to add some style to the room rather than occupying the floor space, leather ottomans with the richness of the leather’s natural patina can be a great selection. However, for busy family homes with pets, too many scratches on the leather ottoman can be a bit of a dampener.
Suede Ottomans
Suede is considered unique in the world of ottoman fabrics since it is an outright premium choice. The unique texture and richness of suede are neck-to-neck with that of velvet and put together, these are two luxury-oriented ottoman fabric choices. The most minimal brushing seems to bring alive the ottoman, adding a new dimension to the suede’s appearance. Expect a suede ottoman to do a lot more than play second fiddle as a secondary seating option in the room—it tends to grab the attention and loves the compliments!
Upholstery Ottoman Fabric Options
While it is difficult to define ottoman furniture in terms of popularity, the upholstered ottoman is often the first choice of interior designers because unlike ottomans with a highly wooden exterior, upholstered textures are more soothing. Here, the exteriors use an abundance of materials like cotton, wool, viscose, or microfibre. Some of the most common fabric choices among upholstered ottomans include:
· Boucle as an Ottoman Fabric
Boucle, as home décor and home furnishing fabric, is a bit of an enigma, often losing popularity but only to come back with renewed interest from home designers and stylists. Boucle ottomans gain from the uniqueness of this material that features a typical, bobbly look. Boucle ottomans are usually available in restrained hues, usually whites, ivory, and creams. The perks of choosing a boucle ottoman also mean a more durable home décor element that does not need a lot of care. Despite looking a bit fancy, boucle is a surprisingly durable material, and it stands apart from the rest with its unique texture—the big reason to consider it as your next ottoman!
· Cotton as an Ottoman Fabric
Perhaps, the most easily understood of all home furnish fabrics, cotton finds immense scope in the world of ottomans. With its soft texture and ease of cleaning, cotton fabric ottomans present a less challenging way to own this piece of furniture without compromising the style or performance. Cotton also offers a wider range of prints along with many texture options, increasing the chances of you finding the perfect ottoman for your home. Genuine cotton used for upholstered ottomans is not likely to shrink. Cotton is also easy to combine with other popular ottoman fabrics like wool and denim.
· Linen as an Ottoman Fabric
Linen is counted among the stronger ottoman fabrics, borrowing the more impressive traits from fabrics like denim, polyester, viscose, and cotton. Often blended with cotton in an ottoman, linen offers impressive strength and ease of cleaning. Yes, pure linen surfaces are a bit vulnerable to easy wrinkling, but a bit of care means getting an ottoman with an elegant texture.
· Viscose as an Ottoman Fabric
If you are ready to really care for your ottoman, a slightly premium option exists in the form of viscose as an ottoman material. A bit delicate, it is also among the more exquisite fabric options. Viscose ottomans can be a good choice for people who want to make a visual statement in the room. Viscose is preferred because of its clearly silky feel despite being a synthetic fabric with an inherent sheen to it. Made from a certain type of cellulose, it mimics the lovable aspects of silk, like the rich lustre, but viscose is often not the only fabric used for the ottoman as it can wrinkle a bit. Ottomans that use different types of viscose blends and in homes where the ottoman usage is not intended to be rigorous, viscose ottomans that also use a bit of linen or cotton can be a good choice.
· Wool as an Ottoman Fabric
Wool outscores many other ottoman fabrics because of its natural resilience. It is a great fabric for upholstering all types of ottomans. Considered cosy and warm, wool is also easy to work with other ottoman fabrics like a bit of cotton or denim to create a unique design. Gifted with the ability to withstand everyday usage, this fabric does not crease much, and upholstered woollen ottomans are liked because of that typical, knitted look. Likely to gather the least dust, woollen surfaces warrant minimal upkeep, and it is considered softer as compared to manmade fabrics.
· Microfiber as an Ottoman Fabric
Microfibre refers to many types of manmade fibres, including nylon and polyester, and combinations of the same. Such microfibre combinations use many types of ultra-fine threads to create tough and lightweight fabrics. Microfiber ottomans are often easier to clean and have impressive resistance to staining and wrinkling. Ottomans are witnessing the introduction of many microfibre innovations, such as the introduction of a micro-suede that creates the impression of a luxurious suede, leather-like exterior. As compared to natural fabrics, most microfibers tend to be a bit more durable and might be surprisingly affordable too.