European Silk Footstools
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
Antique 1890s Italian Footstools
Silk, Wood
Vintage 1930s French Louis XVI Footstools
Silk, Cane, Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
Antique 19th Century English High Victorian Footstools
Silk, Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Velvet, Silk
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and...
Silk, Velvet
20th Century Italian Footstools
Cotton, Silk, Wood
Early 20th Century English Stools
Silk, Hardwood
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Antique 1890s British Victorian Footstools
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Antique 19th Century French Ottomans and Poufs
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Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Footstools
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Antique 1840s English Early Victorian Footstools
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Antique 18th Century French Rococo Footstools
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20th Century French Footstools
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Early 20th Century French Louis XVI Footstools
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Antique Late 19th Century French Louis XVI Footstools
Silk, Wood
Vintage 1950s Italian Modern Stools
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Antique 19th Century French Napoleon III Footstools
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Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Stools
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Antique 19th Century French Footstools
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Antique 19th Century French Footstools
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Antique 18th Century and Earlier Irish Footstools
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Antique 19th Century French Benches
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Vintage 1940s Italian Benches
Iron
20th Century Italian Footstools
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Antique 19th Century French Victorian Ottomans and Poufs
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European Silk Footstools For Sale on 1stDibs
How Much are European Silk Footstools?
Finding the Right Footstools for You
Antique and vintage footstools might add a dose of fun to your living room, but they’re also hard workers.
Even as they’ve morphed into objects with plenty of functions over time, the footstool has a royal past. In Ancient Egypt, a footstool was used to climb onto an elevated chair or placed under someone’s feet as he or she was seated in a temple or private residence. Footstools were also in use during the Ottoman Empire. In fact, the ottoman, an upholstered seat or small bench that initially had no back or arms, was the main seating furniture in a home. Ottomans were a way to merge floor seating with cushions and mats.
Poufs, which originated in France, are also thought of as convenient seating furniture as well as occasionally serving as a side table, if needed. (Although, a pouf is typically not as firm as an ottoman.)
Over the years, footstools have taken on varying purposes. They have been used as small portable chairs, for example.
During the 18th century, a footstool might have been long with a low profile, which rendered it perfect for fireside seating. Victorian footstools were small but not unassuming, as furniture makers of the era would upholster the pieces so that they paired with the nearby sofa or wingback chairs. Footstools have even become a storage solution at home, with designers outfitting them with compartments. Today, a footstool might be used to organize quilts and blankets or other textiles, especially if you’re trying to keep things uncluttered in a small apartment.
Footstools are now available in all sorts of provocative colors, upholstery and more. No one is going to put a velvet footstool out on the curb, right? When shopping for your own footstool, try to find one that meets the height of your sofa or other seating (or is a tad lower). It should also be sturdy but not a heavy, clunky piece that’s a chore to move around.
The footstool is both decorative and functional. Not unlike a good throw pillow, interior designers have found numerous uses for this versatile, vibrant furnishing. Find yours in the growing collection of antique and vintage footstools today on 1stDibs.
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