Wednesday

Ottoman Makeover

We bought this storage ottoman shortly after my daughter was born a few years ago and it has been one of the best investments.  It wouldn't be my number one choice for a coffee table/ottoman, but it's functionality far outweighs the lack of style.  We don't have a playroom so pretty much all the toys stay downstairs in the living room in this ottoman.  It also has a great little tray for diapers and wipes.  It's soft and I don't have to worry about her hitting or head on the corners.  I also really like that it's wipeable.  That's a pretty big deal this days.  The one thing I wasn't fond of was the color.  It was brown.  There's nothing wrong with brown, but I wanted something that didn't feel so heavy.  

It actually didn't look so bad before and has held up really well for the amount of abuse it's taken.    


But I wanted lighter and brighter.  So I went with a faux ostrich fabric that has a really nice texture and happens to be wipeable.  I bought it from this seller on ebay.  It was the cheapest price I could find.

I hate that I didn't take more pictures of the process, but I kind of got in the zone once I got started and forgot to snap a few.  I started by cutting four rectangles to cover the sides and then I put the right sides together and sewed seams where the corners are. (see below)    


Then I removed the feet and stapled everything underneath and then stapled everything on the top.  The fabric was a little tricky to work with because it's so thick and not super pliable.  There was a lot of pulling and tugging going on.  If you did a lighter weight upholstery fabric it would be much easier, but the fact that it's wipeable is a huge deal for me.  For the top I followed a similar process.  I cut one large rectangular piece and then sewed seems down the corners so I fit over the top like a slipcover would.  Then I turned it over and stapled it.  


The texture stands out much more in person and that's one of my favorite parts about it.  It still looks a little plain to me, so I'm planning to add some oversized nailhead trim eventually.



My mom has this huge rose tree type thing in her yard and it is going crazy this year!  I grabbed a few blooms when I was there the other day.  Pink roses are one of my favorites!



It really does make a difference in how open the room feels.  The lighter color works so much better.  


p.s. Have you guys checked out the rooms for The One Room Challenge yet?  I'm constantly amazed at all the talent that is out there!  Can't wait to see the rest tomorrow!

17 comments:

Dwellings by DeVore said...

This looks great! I love the lighter feel and it doesn't seem super difficult to do.

Dwellings by DeVore said...

I love that fabric and I'm so impressed with your recovering job. It looks so professional! Love it!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

We have a storage ottoman too and it used to be in our living room when the kids were little. I totally agree that it's the best thing ever for little ones.
Love what you did with it. Looks gorgeous!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

oh it looks so good in the faux ostrich! i love the sheen to it!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Oh I love the texture and airiness to it! Can't wait to see some studs on it :)

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Bethany!! This is so pretty!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

I love it! I've been wanting to use faux-ostrich on something for awhile. Have some ideas floating around but no jumping yet :) It's perfect on the ottoman!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Love the ostrich look! Great upgrade!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Wow that looks great! Good job on upholstering it.

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Looks SO good!!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Great update! There's no better feeling than when your space works for you - love how functional the piece is... and I love the idea of adding a nail head trim. As everyone has mentioned: ostrich = genius. Such wonderful texture.

Dwellings by DeVore said...

This looks amazing and whet a difference. We covered a headboard in faux white ostrich and love it!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

This turned out awesome! I bought something similar when we had our son and I love it for the same reasons you do I never thought of re-doing it in a lighter leather!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

I love it!!!!! It looks so cool! I love the texture! Great job!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Bethany, you TOTALLY transformed the look of your ottoman! Love the fabric that you chose and that one thing does so much to lighten up your space. Beautiful styling too, as always!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Love the faux ostrich so much! Adds such great texture and a lighter feel to your space!

Dwellings by DeVore said...

Oh my goodness! i've been trying to figure out what to do with my own dark pleather ottoman. This is genius, my friend! Off to look at some faux ostrich!

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