Designers Are Quietly Replacing Ottomans With Mini Stools – They’re Just as Functional but Far Better for Small Spaces

A dark moody living room with a green fireplace, curved dark sofa, two brown armchairs and small floral mushroom stools.

Smaller and more flexible than a traditional ottoman, these compact finishing-touch mini stools float easily around a room, slot into awkward corners, or provide an extra perch whenever guests arrive.

And we're spying designers using them in droves as a way to introduce texture, shape, or a hit of pattern without needing to commit to a larger piece. You see, in our recent Yond Interiors’ Federalist house tour, it wasn’t the larger furniture pieces in the living room that caught my eye – it was the pair of playful mushroom-shaped stools tucked between the armchairs.