'Cocktail Ottomans'
Aren't Just Footrests

Something's afoot in the home-furnishings industry: Giant ottomans, which started replacing cocktail tables in elite homes a few years ago, are now trickling down to the mass market.

Invented centuries ago by the Ottoman Turks, ottomans were last popular in the Victorian era. But the original ottomans were usually delicate footrests, not the multipurpose monsters -- up to 3 feet across and 7 feet long -- that are paired with the gigantic sofas and chairs currently in vogue.

Sometimes called "poufs" by interior designers, overstuffed ottomans were all the rage at the High Point, N.C., furniture trade show last fall and can now be seen at nearly any upscale furniture store.

Typically they are topped with a tray displaying the accouterments of luxury lounging -- a pair of sherry glasses, perhaps, or a silver bud vase and set of wire spectacles.

Upholstered in everything from silk to leather, the fat ottomans cost upward of $500, roughly on par with the prices of good-quality cocktail tables. Since the pouf trend emerged over the past few years, furniture makers have reported steadily increasing sales; some have even succumbed to the fad themselves. "I use one in my family room as a footrest, food server and extra seating, and I don't miss having a regular cocktail table at all," says Michael Dugan, president of Henredon Furniture Industries, Morgantown, N.C.

Mr. Dugan says that he sells "fewer cocktail tables than he used to" and has 20 poufs in his line, a third of which were added over the past two years to meet increased demand from retailers. Another manufacturer, Tom Stout, president of Carsons Inc., High Point, N.C., says poufs have become "quite popular" in his high-end upholstery lines.

"Our customers want something cushy, but relatively formal -- they're not into the recliner look," he says. The bestseller of the five "cocktail ottomans" Mr. Stout offers: a 58-inch-long, 28-inch-wide crescent-shaped model with bun-shaped feet that's as massive as its coordinating sofa. Offered in a variety of fabrics, it retails for about $600 and is sprayed with stain repellents to ward off errant cheese-and-cracker crumbs and sherry spills.

Interior designers say poufs are becoming prevalent because people want a relaxed atmosphere, even in the most formal rooms of their homes. "You can have snacks in your living room and still put your feet up," says New York designer Vincente Wolf.

But many consumers still prefer a regular cocktail table. Donna Riccobono recently bought several rooms of elegant furniture for her Vienna, Va., home, but steered clear of poufs: "I don't think it's a good idea to put food and feet together."

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