The Benefits of using a Footstool

The medical benefits of using a footstool are perhaps not as well known as they should be. Here we demonstrate which organisations recommend using footstools, who should use one and why they are beneficial to health and well being.

During infancy, when mothers are bottle or breast feeding their child, the World Health Organisation recommends using footstools to ensure the baby's bottom is well supported. This is not only beneficial to the mother by preventing back problems it allows for better bonding between mother and child. In the United Kingdom,the National Health Service (NHS) also recommends a footstool to prevent back pain and sciatica and for treating the symptoms of lymph oedema by reducing pain and swelling of legs, knees and ankles. The NHS also recommends footstool use for improved well being and relaxation to counter stress related illnesses, such as high blood pressure, anxiety, and depression.

In the United States the American Heart Association recommends using a footstool to make it easier to put on shoes and socks and The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends propping up your feet on a footstool as often as you can to relieve swelling and soreness and stop varicose veins from getting worse. The American College of Nurse-Midwives recommends new fathers offer your partner comfort measures such as a drink, a footstool, or a pillow to use while nursing whereas the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons recommends using a footstool to make life easier after joint replacement surgery and for intermittent leg elevation. The American Academy of Family Physicians recommends a footstool in front of the toilet to help constipated children have their feet firm and find relief from constipation.

Rheumatology experts suggest that people protect their joints by standing on a stable footstool when reaching for high objects. Macmillan Cancer Support recommends footstools for the skin problems of cancer, and fluid build up, lymph oedema, reducing swollen legs and leading prostate cancer Charities advise sufferers to employ the use of footstools for swollen legs.

Sports injury clinics say that using a footstool for getting the last few degrees of leg extension in the latter stages of a rehabilitation process really has a meaningful effect on recovery. Recovering footballers, rugby players and athletes employ this advice in the latter stages of their rehabilitation process. Schiropractors recommend applied footstool use so patients can sit with knees higher than their hips to help them to steer clear of pain and inconvenience. This allows for improved blood circulation and quicker recovery times.

On a more practical level the Turner Syndrome Society of the United States and Nemours Foundation advise placing a footstool to put things within reach, for example in the kitchen, the bathroom and with easy access to clothing, closets, personal care items, and other necessities. Also in the United States the Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy Syndrome Association of America recommends using a footstool for the unaffected foot during static standing to promote weight shifting and balance.




The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.

Pensioner Confronts Intruder with Footstool

Police have praised the bravery of a seventy-one year old woman who confronted a knife wielding intruder... with a footstool. The man, believed to be of Asian origin, five feet seven inches tall with dark wavy hair forced his way into the home of a seventy-nine year old woman only to be beaten away by the woman's niece who was armed with the footstool.

The house owner and her niece were watching television together when the suspect knocked at the door claiming there had been a motor accident on the road outside. The man then burst through the door and struck the older woman in the face before demanding money from the elderly pair. When he produced a knife the seventy-one year old acted instinctively by grabbing a footstool and hitting the intruder over the head with it.

According to police the knifeman was so taken aback by the tenacity of the woman that he fled empty-handed from the scene.

The pensioners, from Reading in Berkshire, were both injured by the intruder and were being comforted by police after their terrifying experience. The seventy-one year old woman suffered a stab wound to her hand and the house owner was left with bruises. Police said that the incident, which happened on Tuesday 24th August at around 8.00pm, could have been a lot more serious but for the bravery of the two elderly ladies. They are looking for a local man wearing a brown or light beige jacket with unkempt two-inch long dark hair. He is said to be of slim build, in his early to mid twenties and they have issued a photo fit picture of the man they wish to speak to about the incident.

The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.

Ottomans for life

We have an ottoman in our house that we believe once belonged to my Great Grandmother. We have a well known Yorkshire saying in our family that if something is worth keeping it stays with us "for life". This is certainly the case with this most treasured family heirloom.

Made out of oak with wicker sides and a reupholstered rigid foam lid for sitting on, the ottoman has now served four generations of our family. Originally it was designed as a linen box to be fitted into the master bed room of the house. Subsequently it has served us as a blanket and duvet store, a coat box and a toy box. Now it has regained its former preeminence and after its umpteenth reupholstering and paint job it sits proudly at the base of our king size bed in the master bedroom.

It is its very versatility that is the key to its long and successful life. No one can bear to part with our most treasured family member! One relative remembers the ottoman as being kept in the attic where it was used to store the dressing up clothes worn by the children. On long winter nights they would proceed up the step ladder to the dimly lit attic where a succession of cowboy, Monsters Inc and Sleeping Beauty outfits, would be paraded proudly by our children. Latterly the ottoman was brought down to the play room where its functionality was further examined as it be came a receptacle for train sets, Action Men and Play Station accoutrements.

As the children grew up and its use as a toy box became redundant we decided to "re vamp " this most valued piece. It has recently been reupholstered using a delightful colour woven stripe fabric (Prairie Stripe Aubergine) once sourced for the furniture store, Sofa Workshop. We are delighted to say the ottoman remains a proud part of our family and will remain with us until we pass the baton on to the next generation.

The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools, ottomans and contemporary furniture.

Footstool Definitions

According to a well known "online resource" a footstool is a piece of furniture, the purpose of which is to support one's feet. There are two main types of footstools, which can be loosely categorized as those designed for comfort and those designed for function.

The type of footstool designed for comfort is typically used to provide comfort to a person seated, for example, in a chair or sofa. It is typically a short, wide, four-legged stool with a padded top, upholstered in a fabric or animal hide, such as leather. This type of footstool is also a type of Ottoman and it often referred to simply as an Ottoman. It allows the seated person to rest their feet upon it, supporting their legs at a mostly horizontal level. Ottomans are frequently designed with another function in mind, namely they arrive with a hinged lid allowing for valuable storage space within.

A functional footstool, also known simply as a stool, is used as a short stepladder or to support a person's (usually a child's) feet that do not reach the floor when seated. In the former case, the footstool is used by placing it on a flat surface and standing on it to extend one's reach. In the latter case, the footstool is placed under the feet of a sitting person so that the person's feet may rest comfortably on it. An example of the latter is the type of piano footstool used in conjunction with a piano bench. It is also used to make the blood circulation of your body flow more freely than sitting down. The "step up stool" is often found in the kitchens of short people. It can be quickly moved in and out of use and allows the short person to reach the highest shelves or to clean cobwebs in far flung corners. For repeated higher level work we recommend the use of a ladder or step ladder rather than a footstool.

The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about footstools and contemporary furniture.

World Leaders Who Need Footstools

Kim Jong-il, Russia's Dmitry Medvedev and Nicolas Sarkozy may need to gain an extra few inches in order to make up for their lack of stature on the world stage. Indeed Sarkozy, the French President, has started using a footstool to make up for his lack of inches when appearing with taller world leaders. Recent pictures have caught him using a discreet wooden accessory during world summits. It followed repeated attempts by the 55-year-old to use everything from stacked heels to standing on tiptoes to increase his tiny stature.

President Sarkozy is just 5ft 5 inches whereas many contemporary world statesmen are more than six feet in height. Barack Obama is 6 feet 2 inches, as is Canadian Prime Minister, Stephen Harper and German Chancellor Angela Merkel is 5feet 8 inches tall. The new British Prime Minister David Cameron stands well over six feet. President Sarkozy is even smaller than Napoleon.

A spokesmen for the French President said "The footstool was put in place just before M. Sarkozy made one of his speeches in Normandy... He knew he was appearing on the same podium as far taller world leaders and would have looked ridiculous using a lectern set at their height. You would have barely been able to see Mr Sarkozy's hair bobbing up and down." An insider added, "Combined with his stacked heels, the footstool allowed M. Sarkozy to look as though he was an impressive height, although there were sniggers from those of us who could see what was really going on."

Carla Bruni, the President's statuesque wife, last week admitted that she regretted the way people mocked the flat heeled pumps she regularly wears to try and disguise the five inch height difference between the couple, who married two years ago. The 43-year-old former supermodel turned First Lady, who is 5ft 10 ins, said she could accept almost all the pressures of her new job – except attacks on the diminutive head of state she calls "My little chou chou".

An Elysee Palace spokesperson confirmed that the new Sarkozy footstool was a "useful accessory" to make sure that the President did not disappear behind lecterns designed for far taller world leaders. Fun is frequently poked at the President for standing on a footstool behind podiums known as a "Sarkozy step" when making speeches.

The French president is not the smallest major world leader – he is slightly taller than North Korea's Kim Jong-il and Russia's Dmitry Medvedev, both of whom are 5ft 3 ins tall. It is perhaps best not to recommend a footstool for Kim Jong-il in the light of his current macho posturing over nuclear weapons, the poor performance of the North Korean football team in the recent World Cup and his parody in the film "Team America"!


The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about current events, footstools and contemporary furniture.

The footstool Collector

Before the advent of reclining chairs and sofas people used a footstool. Footstools have survived the passage of time because most were carved from wood and beautifully upholstered. Over the years footstools were upholstered and upholstered again by their owners, some with needlepoint hand work others with tapestry or quilted covers. I have always collected footstools as valued pieces in their own right and am proud of the collection I have built up.

As for my own private footstool collection, some are valued for the beauty of the wood, while others are displayed for their ornate fabric and aesthetic qualities. Wooden footstools are wonderful as a table shelf. You will find a lot of footstools in the homes of antique dealers. Such people are in the business because they value what they sell. And as the years go by, things accumulate. Ornate footstools are presented as works of art in their own right. They look better on a table or shelf albeit on different levels. A sympathetic lighting display always creates interest - instead of clutter a display of footstools creates a focal point for guests at a gathering or party.

By the middle of the twentieth century footstools became large square hassocks. And yet, these wonderful pieces were built to last. Footstools before that era are still plentiful today and can be found at auction for sale at affordable prices. They were not thrown away, instead, they were kept to enjoy for the beauty they represented. From me to you, add a footstool to your home, it's a fabulous conversation piece that really does create a home sweet home statement.


This author does not get out much and is a regular contributor to the world of footstools and writes extensively about UK contemporary furniture.

Further Medical Uses for Footstools

From the sanctuary of my hospital bed I can see the benefits of being able to put your feet up after a serious illness or major surgery. Several patients in my vicinity have had varicose vein surgery and as part of their recuperation have by necessity to promote proper blood circulation to the legs. Others have blood pressure issues so that blood flow to feet, positioned on appropriately sized footstools, becomes an essential component of recovery.

Whilst in recovery many people are under pain relief medication. Some patients require oxygen whilst other need something stronger such as morphine. The medical profession are keen to stress the benefits of effective recuperation as part of the whole recovery process. They stress the need for relaxation and for people to get as much sleep as they can. This can be achieved in bed however as the patient gets increasingly mobile, he or she is encouraged to sit in a chair with feet in a horizontal position. The reasoning for this is simple; - blood flow is more evenly distributed in this position and the body' natural defences s can more effectively repair damaged tissue. Clearly the prescription of a suitable footstool is most important.

Size matters! Doctors recommend a footstool height where the legs are on a slight incline from the the recipient's bottom. A comfortable "sitting" height is about 16 inches so a footstool height of 12 - 14 inches would be appropriate. Height levels can be adjusted on certain types of footstools but these are mechanical in appearance and aesthetically displeasing. A much better solution is to select a given height by choosing feet for the stool. These come in different sizes and styles and can be attached to your footstool accordingly. The choice can be made between wooden, or metal legs, either of which can be fixed on castors to aid manoeuvrability.

The outer covering material of the footstool needs to be correctly specified. In a medical environment, polyurethane or "faux leather" upholstery coverings enable regular cleaning and sterilisation of surfaces. With concerns over patient transferred infections and efforts to clamp down on the super bug MRSA, effective use of appropriate cleaning agents is vital. What is clear however is that a correctly specified footstool really can increase the recovery times of patients who reed rest and recuperation.


The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about ottomans footstools and contemporary furniture.

Leather Cube Footstool selection

Cubes upholstered using the finest European leather really do say something about the discerning footstools buyer. A craftsman built leather cube conveys a genuine measure of quality. Leather footstool cubes are simply the best. And why do we place such value in this ancient upholstery material? Because fine leather is a tried and tested product that if cared for correctly will last for years. Some leather even gets better with age but beware there are cheap imitations out there that should be be avoided.

Leather manufacture is a centuries old craft that can be traced back to pre historic times. Stone Age Man and the Egyptians refined the art of tanning leather. According to the Bible "Simon the Tanner" was plying his trade in the first century AD. With time leather processes improved so that today we can buy the very finest aniline leather for furniture through to low value, plastic coated bi-cast leather for the most basic of uses.

Leather is a by-product of the meat industry. Without meat there would be no skins and therefore no trade in leather. At the behest of the market prices move up and down as governed by the law of scarce resources . At the time of writing (August 2010) leather prices have risen by 40% since the Spring due to a scarcity of hides caused by increasing demand for meat from China and South America. Increasing prosperity in those regions has left the world relatively short of leather with the inevitable consequence of sharply increased prices!

Through a combination of the latest scientific techniques and rigorous quality control mechanisms each hide of leather is individually selected prior to tanning. The skin is removed from the animal at the abattoir and generally left on a marble floor to cool. This procedure is vitally important as the rapid cooling of marble reduces the threat of bacterial attack. The hides are then salted to preserve them prior to shipping to a tannery where further processing takes place. Any blemishes are removed from the hide at this stage.

The skins are re inspected after tanning to ensure only the best hides are used for the manufacture of cube footstools. A protective coating is applied to the leather after colouration to protect it from wear and tear and ensure a long life span. Finally the leather is softened and ironed to remove any creases prior to shipment. At this point the finished leather is ready for upholstery.

This is the point when you choose the leather quality and shade for your cube. On offer are generally four types of leather; - aged, grained,semi-grain or bi-cast. Mustang is an aged leather fashioned from full aniline hand finished Italian leather. Capri, a semi-grain leather is soft and exudes distinction. Its sumptuous look is enhanced by a subtle shaded effect. A third leather is Style made from soft yet very durable European hides is a fully grained, durable leather and is ideal for contact applications. Bi-cast leather, which is fashioned from lower grade hides and coated with plasticers to improve appearance and performance is generally a choice to be avoided unless you are looking for a budget footstool cube. When purchasing a leather cube the discerning customer has to select a reputable manufacturer and then chose from these styles and leather qualities.


The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about ottomans, footstool cubes and contemporary furniture.

Information about Ottomans

Ottomans in the home are multifunctional and make a statement about the quality of your furnishings. They also contribute to the amount of valuable storage space you have as well as being used for seating and as footstools. However many people will not know that back in the Nineteenth Century ottomans were used as backless chairs in Middle Eastern council chambers.

Although ottomans are not usually employed as chairs these days, rigid foam cushions and polyester wadding are nowadays built in, adding comfort, to the wooden originals. Today the choice is between fabric or leather ottomans with variations of each. For instance low maintenance ottomans may be produced in faux leather which is simply wiped clean after a spillage. If you want an easy care solution a stain protected fabric ottoman should be your preference. Those with bigger budgets should look towards the genuine quality of leather ottomans.

Reputable ottoman manufacturers construct their frames with a solid hardwood such as beech or oak. Their frames are glued and the upholstery should be double stitched to protect the covering. For an ottoman in the living room storage is an essential feature where papers, toys, videos and CD's can be quickly stored in the event of an unexpected arrival. The piece also functions well as a coffee table or footstool when centred between living room sofas. When hosting parties or at Christmas time your ottoman is invaluable as a source of seating for extra guests.

No longer the exclusive preserve of politicians at Middle Eastern council meetings, ottomans are made affordable by Internet retailers offering the widest range of sizes and styles. Discerning customers enjoy choosing between fabrics and leathers at prices that are not going to break the bank! And the major difference between locally sourced suppliers and those from overseas is that there will be no six to eight week wait for delivery. Most reputable suppliers will carry stock or arrange delivery within two weeks of you having placed an order.

The author has over 20 years experience running companies involved in furnishing fabrics and furniture manufacturing in the UK and writes extensively about ottomans, footstools and contemporary furniture.