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.

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.

Footstool Choice

There are many important considerations to make when deciding to make a footstool purchase. With so many ranges and styles to choose from it is all too easy to make the wrong choice. What we intend to do here is guide you through the many aspects of the footstool buying decision prior making that all important purchase.

By way of an example are you buying a footstool to coordinate with an existing sofa arrangement? How do you want to use it and is the footstool to be functional or for decoration? The first question to answer is do you want to rest your feet on your stool? If so then the height of the stool is a vital consideration.

The height of the seat cushions from the floor will vary however an average UK sofa / chair height is perhaps fifteen inches. Without stretching your legs in an exact horizontal position, most people prefer to gently rest their feet downwards so that their feet are below the height of their posteriors. This means that a footstool should be between ten to fourteen inches in height from floor to top.

When an optimum height is established it is important that the choice of legs coordinates with your existing furniture. For instance if your sofa and chairs incorporate a dark wood finish then choosing a dark oak or mahogany wood finish for your footstool legs would be sensible. If the sofa runs on brass castors then similar feet should be chosen for your stool. Many people rush into a footstool purchase without considering the leather shade to coordinate with a leather sofa. We always suggest collecting leather or fabric samples before buying as the best way to ensure appropriate marrying of shade and texture.

Footstools can be simply decor but as functional units they really come into their own. Does your room have a table? If not a table footstool to solve this dilemma. "Tablestools" are useful pieces in either fabric or leather to match to your existing furniture and act as a coffee tables for placing drinks or snack foods. They are a fabulous addition to any room and provide the dual aspects of style and functionality at the same time. Your tablestool acts as a footrest for anyone else who can fit onto the sofa! When choosing a tablestool ensure that the top is firm and flat enough to rest drinks on and check that a fabric or stain protection has been applied to fabric tablestools to avoid problems with spillage. As previously ensure that the height suites everyone before making the purchase.

Another important consideration is whether you want your footstool to offer storage and how much will be needed. A small footstool storage cube with an uplifting lid can be used to hide away papers, magazines and books as well as offering valuable seating capacity in small rooms. A footstool pouffe may be used as a footrest or for additional seating so it can be easily moved around and tucked out of the way when not in use.

In conclusion it is footstool functionality and "decorative" value that should determine your buying decision. Whether you are looking for an extra accessory to add balance to your room or you need to rest weary feet after along day at work your choice of footstool is very much a personal decision. With these thoughts in mind your perfect footstool purchase can now be made.

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