Ten Years in Footstool Furniture.

With over ten years trading experience Funkyfootstools can justifiably claim to be the leading UK manufacturer of footstools on the Internet. From the click of a browser customers can buy footstools, cubes and storage ottomans directly from a superbly designed and easy to navigate website.

All products are built in the UK to contract standard by experienced craftsmen who deliver exceptional quality as the norm. At the turn of the Millennium the online furniture industry was in its infancy. The older mail order businesses were experiencing difficult trading conditions and needed to find ways to adapt to the changing times offered by new technology. Funky Footstools entered the market place to manufacture and sell footstools, benchstools, tablestools, cubes, drumstools and storage ottomans offering sensibly priced products with quick delivery.

From humble beginnings the business worked out of a back bedroom at first. Some of the founders of the business had been in the textile industry, others in home furnishings and furniture manufacturing. The originators decided to "live the dream" and start their own business on the net.

It was tough at first but the business began to find its way with help from partner suppliers. Today it has its own dedicated factory in Yorkshire where each piece is hand built by skilled craftsmen to individual customer requirements.

Funky Footstools have made their fair share of mistakes throughout the years but have always managed to take stock, learn from their mistakes getting back stronger each time. As the business struggled to grow it saw the opportunities to help people make their homes better places to live through easy and dedicated access to buying footstool furniture online. And ten years later Funky Footstools are well on their way to becoming the first choice for UK footstools furniture.

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.

Bedroom Ottomans

Your bedroom is the last place most of your visitors will see however it is your sanctuary and place of calm after you have shed the last vestiges of your day. When you need peace and quiet your bedroom should be the place to encourage rest and placidity where you can reflect upon the triumphs and challenges of your life. Your focus should be on comfort, order and function so that nothing can disrupt your need for sleep and relaxation. So what better than making an investment in an ottoman, altogether an essential piece of your bedroom furniture.


According to the Encyclopaedia of Furniture by Joseph Aronson, an ottoman is defined as an “upholstered seat or bench having neither backs nor arms, so named after the Turkish influence in the early 18th Century”. Many people will not know that back in the Nineteenth Century ottomans were used as backless chairs in Middle Eastern council chambers. The were also made popular in Europe after members of both Napoleon and Nelson's forces brought ottomans back from Egypt and the Ottoman controlled Eastern Mediterranean following the English victories over the French at the Battle of the Nile (1798). Ottomans and ornate footstool furniture entered the fine houses of Western Europe thereafter from the early days of the Nineteenth Century.

In your bedroom an ottoman adds a high degree of style especially when you select colours and textures to coordinate with your surroundings. Today comfort and softness are built in to the bedroom ottoman with rigid foam cushions and polyester wadding surrounding a hardwood frame. The upholstery choice is between fabric or leather with shade variations to suit. For those with a smaller budget an ottoman in faux leather is the perfect compromise. These are ideal for the bedrooms of children where surfaces can be easily wiped clean after a spillage. If your choice is a fabric upholstered ottoman then an easy care solution may be a stain protected fabric which similarly helps protect against grease and grime.

Those with bigger bedroom budgets should consider an ottoman upholstered in the finest leather. A choice of Capri, a semi aniline, grained leather from Italy conveys feelings of calm that are reflected in the subtle hues of this most sought after and exquisite material. By combining contemporary shades with softness of texture your bedroom is greatly enhanced by the addition of an ottoman upholstered in Capri leather.

Not only are ottomans fine pieces in their own right they are also functional and provide storage solutions. Bedroom wardrobes are traditionally where linen and clothing is stored however this constant logistical problem is solved by the clever internal storage solution within any ottoman. Beneath the opening lid is deceptive storage space for extra bedding, laundry and pillows. With easy access your bedroom ottoman is on hand to provide you with sheets, duvets and throws. Not only does it enhance the quality of your room, your bedroom ottoman effectively solves one of your major household storage issues - at a stroke!

New Year Footstools

So 2011 has arrived and we would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year! We are all looking forward with relish to the opportunities ahead and in particular suggest that you consider a small investment in an invaluable piece of household furniture. So make this a good one and as our motto for January goes, "New Year, New Footstool!"

How about an investment in a small leather footstool? These are unobtrusive footrests, built by skilled craftsmen and will last for years if treated with care and respect. Using quality sourced leathers from a tannery in Italy our footstools are lovingly crafted by our team of time served upholsters. They are available from stock and make an ideal New Year present!

When the family descends in January where they are all going to be seated? A selection of hardwood frame Pouffes are a superb way to create additional household seating. Manufactured in our UK factory, pouffes and cubes are available in both fabric and leather selections. From as little as £75 a faux leather pouffe makes a fabulous gift at any time of the year.

When you need something upon which to rest a tray, or papers why not consider a tablestool? These splendid pieces are essentially supersized footstools which can be upholstered in either leather of fabric. They traditionally sit in front of your favourite sofa or chair, opposite a roaring fire and provide a Winter sanctuary of comfort and relaxation. People use tablestools as the centre piece of a room where they function as tables between the chairs and sofas.

Benchstools are also make great seating solutions. With an extensive choice of feet their most appropriate use is as a footrest for two to share however choosing a set of tall contemporary legs (giving a height of around fourteen inches from floor to top) provides an additional seating solution. Choosing castor feet enables you to move the benchstool with ease and a choice of ornate Queen Anne legs convey a feeling of genuine character.

And finally the perfect storage solution, an ottoman! These fantastic furniture pieces can be upholstered in either fabric or leather is ideal for storing all your favourite household items. An ottoman enhances any room by its presence providing functionality with elegance. They are available in a range of sizes to fit your bedroom (for the storage of bedding or laundry), living room or office. The cube storage ottoman is also a sturdy and practical seat. If you take on board the call "New Year, New Footstool" then you cannot make a better choice than an investment in an ottoman!

Along with prostitution the tanning of leather is one of the oldest professions on earth and approximately half of all footstools sold today are upholstered in leather. But where does the leather we use come from and what are the origins of this multimillion pound industry?
The origins of leather production can be traced back to the stone-ages. The first leather was created almost by accident by Neanderthal man. As the early hunter gatherers prepared their prey, the first part of the preparation was to skin the animal. They soon discarded the skin and not long after noticed that skins left in moist areas when combined with the foliage from leaves had exhibited certain characteristics. They lasted longer before they began to decay and retained their features longer than other skins. The plant extracts eventually became known as vegetable tanning and is still practiced today in a similar form. According to the Bible Simon the Tanner was plying his trade as long ago as 2000 years ago.

Leather making advanced slowly over the ages, with more modern refinement of chemicals slowly improving the quality of the leather produced by the early tanners. It wasn’t until the 19th century that more dramatic changes were introduced. In the mid 1850’s, Frederick Knapp presented his ideas on tanning with chromium sulphate. Chromium sulphate with its higher hydrothermal stability soon became a favourite of leather makers across the globe and is today the most popular product used in the tanning process.

Progress in the research and development of organic chemistry utilised in the chemical industry have seen much more rapid advances in the technology used in the leather making process, leading to much more advanced leather products. Various footstool ranges offer leathers finished to differing quality standards and specifications. Hard wearing leathers are most appropriate in the contract market whereas softer, more vibrant shades are upholstered to form pouffes, cubes or ottomans on offer to the general public. Customers agree that a leather footstool is an excellent household investment and will offer great use for many years.