Do you use the ottoman as seating? Or to put your feet on? For our family room I ordered the oversize ottoman to use as a coffee table, envisioning a nice tray & accessories.

Instead, it's mainly used AS a footstool and the occasional table for snacks while watching TV. Ok, we DO have 2 labs who crash into it all the time, so it's not practical to use as a table, but I'm sure your home is much different! Not everyone is nuts like us.

Nami, here is a picture of mine with a tray. Hopefully it will spark an idea.

{{!gwi}}

I have my grandmother's teapot and a cup/saucer on mine. During the winter I had a pillar candle, and a small arrangement of greenery.

My husband HATES the tray on the ottoman. He would rather not sit there than move the darn thing in order to put his feet up. I am stubborn, however, and the tray stays!!

I couldn't possibly have candles on an ottoman in our house. I don't think I would put the tray on the ottoman until it was needed. If you want to leave it there, wouldn't you want it to look like it's serving rather than pretending to be a table? How about a candy dish and a pretty teacup/saucer and a special or vintage book?

Maybe a short stack of books? A decorative bowl filled with candy, the remotes, or the coasters? A pretty wood box? Hard to know without knowing the style of the room or your needs. Even though I have a coffee table, not an ottoman, I do have a tray on it to corral all the stuff we need to have on the table. On my tray: a painted wood box that contains some coasters, the remote controls, a pad of paper and a pen. This is stuff that ordinarily would be scattered across the top of the table.

I'd choose things that aren't 'tippy' or fragile since by definition, an ottoman is a place you should be able to put your feet up. So something low and sturdy.

Deborahnj,

In the corner of your picture, I see your drapes. Were your drapes custom-made? I love the color from what I saw. Will you share the name of the fabric and where you found it? I am currently looking for fabric for my family room.