Armchair with footstool: using the footrest flexibly
An armchair with a matching footstool provides a footrest without any mechanism having to be built into the furniture. The stool can be pulled up, set aside or used differently, while the armchair itself remains compact. This is just as interesting for hotel rooms, lounges and reading corners as for private living rooms. Anyone planning armchairs with a footstool should, however, coordinate heights, floor space and cover so that the combination is actually used in everyday life. The following sections deal with the appropriate height, the additional uses, the space required and the choice of cover, and give guide values you can refer to when planning.
Choosing the right height and distance
The legs rest comfortably when the top of the footstool is roughly level with the seat or a few centimetres below it. If the stool is higher, the edge presses into the calves and the knees are overextended. With common seat heights of about 40 to 45 centimetres, this results in a correspondingly low stool. The upholstery should also match: a very firm stool in front of a soft armchair feels higher than it measures. The distance depends on body height and is adjusted simply by moving the stool.
More than a footrest
The advantage of the separate stool lies in its versatility. It serves as an additional seat when visitors arrive or, with a tray, as a small surface for setting things down. In a hotel room it can temporarily be used as a place for bags or clothing. For use as a seat, the upholstery should be firm enough and the frame suitably sturdy; on very soft, domed upholstery a tray does not stand securely. If the stool is moved frequently, a manageable weight and glides under the feet that protect the floor are helpful.
Assessing the space required realistically
Armchair and footstool together take up about 150 to 170 centimetres in depth when the legs are stretched out. Added to this is the passage that must remain clear in front of or beside the group. Therefore plan a place where the stool can stand when not in use, for example to the side of the armchair or beneath a console table. In small rooms it should not lie in the walking line between door, bed and bathroom. A side table belongs next to the armrest, not in front of the armchair, so that the area for the stool remains free.
Cover, style and care
Feet, and often shoes as well, rest on the footstool. The cover is subject to more wear there than on the armchair and soils more quickly. Hard-wearing, easy-to-clean fabrics or leather are the obvious choice for commercial use. Order armchair and stool together where possible, so that cover and wood tone come from the same production run. For baroque furniture it additionally applies that leg shape, carving and decorative nails should match on both pieces, otherwise the stool looks out of place. A different cover, on the other hand, can be used deliberately as an accent.
Related: Sofas, Coffee tables, Benches. The full range: Baroque furniture.
Read more: Bed in the guest room: durable furnishing for changing users, High-backed sofa: weighing up spatial effect and seating comfort, Baroque in New Build Apartments: Limited Wall Space, Abundant Light, Round or Rectangular Dining Table: What the Room Dictates, Reception and Lobby: The First Room Decides