Principals of the Successful Footstools Retailer

Modern furniture businesses should be centred on the dual concepts of quality and excellent customer service. Customers need to be at the heart of everything the business does. Furniture products need to be engineered to maximise relaxation and to provide high-class design with built in quality. They need to be aesthetically appealing whilst combining practicality and functionality.

Successful footstool manufacturing businesses know the importance of “putting our feet up” after a hard day at work. As busy people themselves they understand the importance of relaxation. They value leisure time and know they have an important part to play by rewarding customers with the quality of the furniture they offer.

The design principles behind a successful furniture company are based on the idea of giving customers choice within a quality palette. That choice should be customer lead striking the perfect balance of colour, fabric, proportion and texture. In this way company products fit seamlessly into any lifestyle and environment.

A footstool business within the furniture sector needs to provide a niche product range. Hence made to measure footstools, pouffes and storage ottomans are designed to fit into any household space. They are appropriate for any room and are practical pieces in their own right. And the pieces are individually hand built for comfort and relaxation. Only through careful sourcing of the best leather, fabrics and component materials can craftsman built footstools meet the high expectations of customers.

An increasing number of footstool and ottoman manufacturers sell their products online. In this way they cut out the expensive overhead of retail rent and rate charges. Customers are buying a unique range of products directly from the manufacturer, thus avoiding the cost of a middleman. By visiting the site of an independent footstool retailer you are simply a click away from putting your feet up!

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.

Cubes for Seating

Upholstered pouffe or cube seating is the perfect solution to providing inexpensive and practical seating capacity at events, exhibitions and retail environments. You will rarely pass a shoe shop without seeing an arrangement of cubes within. Public houses, bars and restaurants rely on their adaptability for seating and cubes provide ready, comfortable seats in office reception areas. They are easy to store, each one coming in a tight fitting double walled card board box and if cared for will give you a life span of many years service. How then can such a simple piece of furniture offer so much to so many for so little?
Reputable footstools and ottoman suppliers regard the cube as a required piece within their furniture stores. Cubes fit into the smallest of spaces and can be arranged in any variety of combinations. A craftsman built cube offers a genuine measure of quality. The template is its hard wood frame, glued rather than screwed, stapled or nailed. A two to three inch deep rigid foam pad beneath a plywood structure provides the comport for seating and a protective foam and polyester wadding offers protection to the edges and sides. Four plastic glide feet are applied to the base so as to avoid scuffing and tears to the edges at floor level. The glides also provide stability and balance allied to simple manoeuvrability across surfaces.

The choice of outer covering should be dictated by where and for what purpose the cube is to be used. For instance cubes that provide seating in bars and restaurants require a hard wearing outer upholstered surface that is easy to clean. Light colours should be avoided as they are prone to staining. Dark fabrics should not be exposed to direct sunlight. That said the choice of beauticians and hairdressers is for "lighter" upholstered cubes in shades such as whites or golds. The brand image you are trying to portray is essential to your choice of cube. Wedding event organisers tend to select white leather cubes to enhance the atmosphere of the occasion. Many bar owners choose reds or black as their design colour and their cube seating selection is reflected accordingly. Leather or faux leather tends to be their upholstery choice as it is a practical solution for the club or bar environment.

If treated appropriately your cube will last you for many years. Fabrics treated with a Guardsman* stain resist finish (such as faux suede) may be wiped clean with a damp cloth to remove excessive stains and soiling. Upholstered leather cubes, particularly those in an aged Mustang leather look better with age and can last for up to ten years! If you are looking to buy seating for your business or home then a cube offers you a quality solution at a price to suit!



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

Leather for your footstool

Footstools upholstered in a fine Italian leather make a real statement about the discerning footstool buyer. When you purchase a British built leather footstool the true meaning of quality is revealed. But for all customers the style and leather selection is most important especially when a footstool becomes a true family heirloom and is to be passed onto future generations of your family.

The tanning of leather is a centuries old craft that can be traced back to pre Roman times. According to biblical references, Simon the Tanner was plying his trade in the first century AD. Renaissance Florence became a European centre for leather and the tradition of excellent leather manufacturing is maintained today in modern day Italy.

When used for upholstery the latest scientific techniques and rigorous quality control are employed to each hide prior to tanning. Without a significant beef industry there would be no skins and therefore no trade in leather. Hence Northern Italy, with a prosperous cattle sector is well placed to provide the raw material for the trade in leather.

At the abattoir skins are removed from the beasts and are left in a temperate place to cool. In some traditional Italian abattoirs the skins are placed on marble floors to cool down. This procedure is vitally important as the rapid cooling of marble reduces the threat of bacterial attack. Hides are then salted to preserve them prior to shipping to a tannery where further processing takes place.

On arrival at the tannery blemishes are removed from the hide and re inspected to ensure only the best hides are used. At this point colouration takes place whereby a number of hides are dyed in large vessels to a precise formulation. A protective coating is frequently 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 then ironed to remove creases prior to shipment.

Upholstery buyers are particularly selective when choosing leather. Given the value of the furniture to be upholstered, leather for benchstools, tablestools or ottomans is highly prized and needs to be of the highest quality. Leather for your footstool must comprise three main elements. Firstly is has to be durable as it will have to withstand the weight of many feet during its life time. Secondly it must be without major blemishes such as creases, scars or tears. Finally the leather for your footstool must convey the quality of a superior piece of upholstered furniture. Its appearance must be second to none or the premium a customer deserves when choosing leather for his or her footstool will not be met. Only then will the discerning customer realise he or she has made an excellent footstool choice!

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.

Buying an Ottoman Today

Buying an ottoman today could not be easier although with the choices available finding the piece to match your exact requirements may be more difficult. You can find storage ottomans in a variety of shapes and sizes, built to varying levels of craftsmanship. With a purchase plan in mind you should not have a problem finding something that will suit your needs.

The first thing you should consider is what you want from your ottoman. Do you want it to be stylish, practical or both? If you want a stylish bedroom then you should consider buying an ottoman to ensure your bedroom is stylish and relaxing. Ottomans are suitable for almost any bedroom size and shape. They are most commonly located at the foot of the "master bed" where linen, pillows and duvets become easily accessible. Sleek storage ottomans are ideal for helping to keep your bedroom clear of clutter and they are ideal for storing bedding and laundrySome storage pieces add a touch of glitz to a living area and help set the tone of the room.


There are plenty of size options available, even for the smallest room. When it comes to selecting an ottoman you will probably want something sleek, either upholstered in fabric or leather. If selecting a piece to coordinate with your suite you have plenty of options available. A mixture of both leather and fabric is more likely to be the design choice of today.

You can buy storage ottomans both online and offline. You will need to think about how much you are willing to spend and what items you need the piece to coordinate with. If selecting the offline option make sure you choose a store that has a good selection of Sofas and Ottomans. There are many places to visit and in the UK DFS, Argos and IKEA, are as good as anywhere. Online the choice is even greater although a reputable online footstools and ottomans retailer with many years trading experience and a verifiable list of satisfied genuine customers is the place to start.

After you have chosen a place to buy your ottoman and settled on a budget you may consider the ranges available. As long as you make sure you have done your research then an ottoman should be a fun and exciting task.


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.