Footstools
1780s European George III Antique Footstools
Mahogany
20th Century French Footstools
Stone
19th Century English Antique Footstools
Walnut
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Footstools
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Footstools
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Japonisme Footstools
Fabric
21st Century and Contemporary Indonesian Footstools
Aluminum
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Footstools
Brass
1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Footstools
Nutwood
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Footstools
Metal
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Footstools
Brass
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
2010s Danish Post-Modern Footstools
Steel
Early 1900s Gothic Antique Footstools
Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Textile, Oak
2010s Spanish Modern Footstools
Aluminum
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Aluminum, Steel
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Aluminum, Steel
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Aluminum, Steel
2010s Danish Modern Footstools
Aluminum, Steel
2010s German Modern Footstools
Steel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Footstools
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Footstools
Metal
2010s Mexican Modern Footstools
Oak
2010s Mexican Modern Footstools
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Danish Scandinavian Modern Footstools
Leather, Oak
2010s Footstools
Silk, Oak
2010s Footstools
Fur, Sheepskin
Antique and Vintage Footstools
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.