Friday, September 13, 2013

How Are Ottomans Created?

How Are Ottomans Created?

By Ben Heywood


Ottomans make exceptional additions to any living room set with a range of types, shapes and designs readily available to buy from leading furniture makers. Originating from Turkish heritage furniture, the modern day ottoman was developed in the late 18th centuries by upholsterers as an alternative for the standard footstool which permitted much more room for original design and artistry. Popular with the public from their inception, ottomans stay extremely popular even today with a variety of manufacturers specialising in this item.

The tenets of developing an ottoman footstool are very much similar to that of a sofa. Firstly, a frame is constructed which forms the skeletal frame of the piece and determines its shape as an item of furniture. This is typically constructed using a hardwood such as beech-wood which can be placed together by a group of carpenters. This initial phase of construction is remarkably important as defects and imperfections at this stage will turn out to be evident later on if quality control processes are not effectively put in place by the manufacturer.

Following the completion of the ottoman frame, cushioning is then applied to build up the furniture item. Traditionally, organic materials such as horsehair would be used although nowadays it really is much more common to work with artificial fibres that are much more durable and economical to use. After wrapping the material around the framework, it's then cut to size and bound together to ensure a close fit. For cubes and rectangular ottomans this process is relatively straightforward, although rounded ottomans demand close consideration to detail to ensure an even curvature is created.

The third stage of the production process is to apply a cover across the padded frame which gives the ottoman its exterior look. Traditionally, leathers are used although fabrics are more and more popular and provide far more diversity when it comes to style and design. When operating with either, exact measurements should be used to ensure that that the textile can be cut before fixture to the body. It is also extremely important to ensure that the material meets a minimum level of thickness to ensure that it is suitable for either household or industrial use.

Once the top cover has been put on, the final stage of constructing an ottoman is to finish the product. Depending around the preferred style, this may either be a classic finish, pulled stitch fine detail or piping to accentuate the outline of the furniture . Usually, the selection of finish can make the difference to the all round look and feel of an ottoman . As an example, deep buttoned detail is a classic look whereas drawn stitch-work adds a modern touch to an item, even where a classic leather cover is used.

This is a simple overview of how ottoman footstools are made, although there's an excellent deal more to each of the phases of production then this general overview suggests. To find out far more about furniture manufacture, why not organize a company tour with one of the major furniture producers?




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