Chairs and Ottomans were once a staple in American homes. Every room of the living space had at least two chairs and at least one ottoman. Sometime in the 1980's the rules changed and we started to see the fall of the ottoman and in the 90's the chair in its many forms began to slide into obscurity. However, in the last 10 years we have started to see Americans welcome the chair back into their homes and with it has comes its faithful companion the ottoman.
An ottoman is usually defined as "a low cushioned stool to rest the feet of a seated person in a chair, often matched to a chair as a set; Also a thick cushion more often than not placed on a low riser, used as a seat without a back, originally used in Turkey, similar to a bench and often used as a place to serve trays or baskets to those seated on similar pieces of furniture nearby, usually grouped". In America we are most familiar with the first part of that definition but in recent years we have seen ottomans being used quite often in the second sense.
Ottomans are most often in American décor paired with a chair, usually matching, in an area of the room meant for relaxing. A favorite location to place these pairings has traditionally been near a window for reading, or by a fireplace. They do sometimes find themselves sin the main grouping of furniture of the room. This is especially true in less formal rooms where casual conversation is usually held. Chair and ottomans can find themselves fitting into just about any décor in any room; the only thing you have to consider is the style and fabric of the chair and ottoman. They do not have to match the rest of the room, in fact things can get more interesting when they don't, but you have to be careful to not stray to massive extremes that do not make any sense whatsoever.
When you are selecting chairs and ottomans for your rooms be mindful of the overall size of the pieces when matched and try to decide where you will be placing the items once you get them home. A good rule of thumb is this, if a chaise lounge would not work in the spot then chairs and ottomans will probably not be good there either.
The fabric choices that you have with chairs and ottomans are limitless. However, remember that when you are choosing the fabric for the "puff" or the top cushion of the ottoman, that shoes will take a toll on weaker or more delicate fabrics. It's okay if the fabric for the chairs and ottomans do not match the rest of the fabrics in the room as they will match each other and make their own statement. Favorite choices for chairs and ottomans are leathers, Naugahyde, canvas, micro suede, and tweed. These are all heavier fabrics that show off color very well, especially the canvas and leather options. Another new trend is corduroy and denim fabrics for ottomans usually paired with either a matching chair or with a very masculine co-coordinating chair such as a leather or tweed.