Flashback Friday: The First Ottoman we Built

While it often feels like I remember every piece of furniture and every home accessory I have purchased (and where it came from and how much I paid and how much I saved from the original price), I sometimes have glaring omissions in my memory.  Like the other day, when I was going on and on about how I would never choose a red couch, only to realize I have a red couch.  I bought it off craiglist for $40 and always sort of intended to get a new slipcover for it (its the super basic couch from Ikea.)  I know it seems crazy to forget about a major piece of furniture currently in your house, but it's in the basement and I rarely use it and really, I wanted something different.  Denial much?

While I was in the process of planning the cocktail table turned ottoman project, I was talking to my husband about it and he answered one of my questions by saying "I don't know--I've never built an ottoman."  Again, I was all, "I know honey, but you can still help me figure this out," and he was all, "I was being sarcastic--remember the orange ottoman?"

The orange ottoman!  How could I forget!  After our older daughter was born, we wanted to do away with pointy edged things, including the coffee table.  When we couldn't find an ottoman the size we desired, we built one.  The thing was over 4' square: how could I forget??

[photo credit: me.  model: Clio and the "make-out monkey".  You're welcome!]

So, how to do it.  Dave built a big box with a flat bottom and an open top.  I used upholstery webbing to make a forgiving top, stapling it to the outside of the box.  We added foam, a layer of batting, and a set of legs we bought online in unfinished pine and stained.  The fabric came from a remnant bin and the nailhead is french trim, which comes on a big roll and you only actually hammer in every 8th nail or so.  I can't remember why I didn't seam the corners, but instead I used a sort of tuck -- it was a casual look that worked but that I probably wouldn't repeat.  The hardest thing about this project was finishing the edges--for some reason, the legs had to be screwed in before the piece was upholstered, so rather than stapling the fabric underneath, I had to staple it right to the edge, with the fabric turned under, and then cover it with nailhead.

All of which is to say, ottoman-building is completely doable, though I think I prefer my new method of upholstering a coffee table.  Much simpler when you don't have to build the frame!

Have you built any custom projects for your home?  Did you forget all about them like I did?

MY in-laws are on their way to town for the holiday weekend.  I'll be back on Tuesday--enjoy it!

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