A woman's love for her ottoman

 Photo by Michael Partenio

Trawling through design blogs, I've noticed that great rooms always have little displays of books, flowers and quirky objects or figurines placed on tables or ottomans. Sometimes called vignettes, these displays really catch my eye and I am particularly fond of the neat displays, with the inclusion of a tray, on plump ottomans - the type with wooden legs. The display (and room) above is a favourite.

So, of course I needed one of my own for the living room I am trying to create. On Sunday night, my nerves went into overdrive as the Mister and I hovered over the computer in an attempt to "win" a black, leather chesterfield ottoman with a final, late bid on eBay. My mood board for our living room, created in Photoshop, included a photo of this very ottoman, so I was overjoyed when I knew it was mine.

What a find! Worth every cent of the $130. Now, in an ideal world, the leather would be a black and white print fabric and the legs wouldn't be brown, but those things can be changed if need be. The leather is in great condition so I couldn't bring myself to have it reupholstered yet (not to mention the expense). The brown legs, however, won't fit so well in a black and white scheme so I'm deliberating options (a very dark wood stain, a black paint, a white paint...?).

Here are some ottomans and vignettes to insire:

 Designed by Alessandra Branca

Designed by Windsor Smith Home

 Photo by James Merrell

In order to perfect the art of vignettes, a plastic tray with short sides seems essential. Something to add to the "hunt" list. Round, square or rectangular? Black or white?

Designed by Rita Konig

Books and flowers are easy to come by though, so the fun has begun. Can anyone share their own experience of how and what works in such displays? The Internet hasn't provided me a lot in terms of design advice for this, so if you know some of the fundamentals or tricks of the trade, now is your chance to make my heart sing!