Ah yes, the humble ottoman. These little guys are often treated as an afterthought, but they can provide serious versatility and help tie together any living room. The first thing to ask yourself when choosing an ottoman is: what will its main purpose be? Are you just looking for something small to complement your couch, chair, or coffee table? Or are you in need of some extra storage space? RealRooms offers some great flip-top options with handy square storage for throw blankets, pillows, toys or whatever else you want to hide away in-between use.

Want something a bit bigger? Larger, long ottomans with round edges work great near your entryway or mudroom for tying up shoes — or in your bedroom for getting dressed in the morning. It’s all a matter of what your space needs most.

A lot of people wrongly assume that you should always choose an ottoman that matches your couch or coffee table, both in terms of size and color. Not so fast! An oversized ottoman can easily stand on its own as an accent or focal point in the room, breaking up monochromatic designs with a nice pop of color. For a more classic look, you can try a tufted faux leather or gray linen design, which might be better suited to your pre-existing couch or accent chairs.