Before & After: Stylish Storage Ottomans

This weekend I started a project that has made me realize perhaps I bit off more than I can chew. I told my mom I would re-do her family room. My parents are away on a trip to San Diego, so I thought this weekend would be the perfect time to get a lot done and surprise them! I've been making the drapes for the past couple of months- she has one wall that is entirely windows, so the just the draperies took alot of time and effort. Anyway, a little side project I did involved some storage ottomans.


I found these gray pique ottomans on clearance at Target for $49. I liked their size and shape and the fact the top comes off so you can store things in them. They had a pair, so we took them home, thinking they would be nice on each side of a new tv cabinet for the room.

First, I removed the gray skirt from the ottoman. I just used a regular seam ripper, and it came off quite easily.

Next, I found some cute fabric. I decided on this red and coral quatrefoil pattern by Braemore. You know how much we love quatrefoils, and I thought this was a fun pattern to add a little modern twist to their otherwise traditional room.

First I measured and cut the fabric into squares to cover the "lid" of the ottoman. Then I used the staple gun to attach it- I took the easy way out and didn't remove the gray fabric just for time's sake. You can't tell at all though.

The finished top. This part was easy.

Next came the more challenging part- recreating a skirt for the base of the ottoman. Since I had left the gray lining on the ottoman and just removed the gray skirt, that saved me a couple steps. I cute 4 identical panels and lined them using my sewing machine. It probably wasn't necessary to line them, but I felt like it hangs better when its lined. I then used the staple gun to attach each panel to the ottoman. It was a little tricky to get the panels lined up and to hide the staples.

But all in all, I'm happy with how they turned out! I still need to style the tv cabinet and do quite a few other things to the room (more on that to come!) but I think they are pretty cute for around $60 per stool. The stools were $49 each, and the fabric was $11 a yard- $60 for a custom stool! (I am also lining a bookcase in the same fabric).

Stay tuned for a bamboo desk makeover later this week!!!