Leather Footstools

Want to know our most-recommended piece of living room furniture? Of course, we’re huge fans of sofas and armchairs but for practicality and style in equal amounts we’re going to opt for – drumroll, please – the leather footstool.

Footstools are incredibly versatile pieces of furniture and leather footstool upholstery is both hardwearing and luxurious. Put them together and you have yourself a must-have piece of living room furniture. They’re chameleons too – leather pouffes work seamlessly with all kinds of fabric- and leather-upholstered sofas and chairs, fitting in nicely with your other furniture choices and standing out just enough to be stylish focal points.

But if you’re spoiled for choice or not sure how to make a leather pouffe or footstool fit into your living room, read on. As always, we’re here to help you make your home as beautiful as it possibly can be.

Choosing the right leather footstool

Like sofas and chairs, leather footstools come in all shapes and sizes. Many are rectangular – the traditional leather footstool shape – but you’ll also find square footstools and even curved footstools. The classic leather pouffe tends to be circular in shape.

It’s a good idea to start your leather footstool search by thinking carefully about how you’ll use your footstool. If you plan on using it the way it was originally intended – for resting your feet on at the end of the day – you’ll be happier with your choice if its dimensions correspond with those of the sofa or armchair that you will place it next to. Make sure that any leather footstool you’re considering is about the same height as or even slightly lower than your sofa seat, or else you’ll feel like your legs are uncomfortably elevated every time you use it. And for a neat and tidy look, the width of your leather footstool should be close to the width (or fractionally wider) than the width of the sofa or armchair seat cushion that it’s next to.

If your leather footstool is more likely to be used as a multi-functional piece of furniture – as a footrest, as an extra seat or even as an impromptu coffee table – then a small leather footstool that’s more manoeuvrable might be a better and more practical choice for you and your living room.

This is also the time to think about footstool functionality. Storage footstools have hinged lids that hide a useful space that’s perfect for all those living room bits and prices that don’t have a proper home. If you’re short on storage space in your living room and there’s no room for a sideboard or cabinet then this could be an ideal solution. You won’t be able to tell by looking at it that your leather footstool is a storage footstool but the top might be slightly less plump than a regular footstool, as the storage compartment could – depending on its design – take up room that might otherwise be used for cushioning.

You’ll find helpful guidance as you browse our leather footstools – and indeed any piece of upholstered living room furniture – in our sofa and armchair buying guide. Created by Furniture Village experts, this handy online guide prompts you to ask yourself all the important questions as you research sofas, armchairs and, of course, leather footstools.

Choosing the right colour for your leather footstool

We think you’ll be surprised and perhaps even a little impressed by the wide variety of colour options available in our collection of leather pouffes. As well as classic brown leather footstools and contemporary black leather footstools, we have leather footstools in lighter neutral hues like beige or cream.

A leather footstool can also be a great way to add a not-too-big stylish pop of colour into an otherwise monochromatic space. An orange or blue leather footstool makes a great living room focal point, and our grey leather footstools nicely bridge the gap between subtle and stylish.

The finishing touches

A leather footstool is one of those pieces that can really make a room. It’s a useful item of furniture item and can help define a design aesthetic for your living room. For example, if you've selected a contemporary leather storage footstool, you might be inspired to add contemporary home accessories like a bold metal floor lamp, some abstract wall art and a geometric-patterned wool rug. If the style of your chosen leather pouffe is more on the traditional side, complement its inherent look and feel with classic velvet cushions and a neutral white, cream or grey rug.

If you’ve decided on a leather footstool because you need versatile seating that’s able to quickly adapt to varying numbers of guests, you might want to think about revisiting your living room sofas and chairs. In a compact living room, consider adding a small accent chair that looks stylish without taking up too much floor space, or swap out a large one-person armchair for a neat and tidy 2-seater sofa.

Caring for your new leather pouffe

While many types of leather are very durable and hardwearing, be sure to research carefully the type of leather upholstery that covers your new leather pouffe or footstool. You’ll find plenty of helpful information around caring for leather in our upholstered furniture care guide. And we always recommend that you carefully read the manufacturer's care instructions, and keep them in a safe place for future reference. Found your perfect leather footstool? Now all you have to do is sit back with your feet up and relax.