I can't help with a fabric choice but might with the scratching. Until recently my cats were shredding my couches. I tried just about every trick to get them to stop but no luck. As a last resort I purchased a 30" tall sisal scratching post. I say "last resort" because they're not exactly the prettiest things in the world. It was the BEST pet purchase I ever made. They both took to it immediately and haven't touched anything else since I brought it into the house. I did hear somewhere if I restricted access to their favorite scratching spots it would help. We lived with blue painters tape on the couch corners and sheets over club chairs for about a week. I also lightly sprinkled some catnip on the post. I highly recommend giving it a try. It's a huge relief knowing my current (and future) furniture will be safe from those little kitty claws. Jennifer (I purchased my scratching post from the Ebay store Cat Post Direct. For some reason I can't link to it)

Shee, do you really want an ottoman? Don't get me wrong, I think most of them are very pretty, but I also find them to be a fad right now. I don't see too much wood in your house at all. Have you thought about an old fashioned coffee table? It would cost next to nothing compared to an ottoman. And they're more versatile also. You can soften the looks of coffee tables by adding doilys, table runners, toppers..in all sorts of fabric and prints. I doubt I'll ever get rid of mine, even though the top is getting some wear and tear, it adds to the charm. And it's great to plop the ole feet on!

Thanks for the nice comments. I'm adding a pic that shows a swatch of the cushion fabric with an accent pillow on my rug. The tweed fabric ties in the rusts and golds. Unfortunately, the sheen on the cloth seems to turn it to more of a coral & tangerine in my pics. It is more subdued IRL, but they do add a color punch that works all 4 seasons. Confession - My dogs haven't been on them yet. As some here predicted, they found other good spots to scout outdoors when the furniture got changed out. Puck does his lookout from the sofa in the upstairs TV room and Riley hangs with me & watches birds & squirrels on the back deck. If they jump up on the new cushions I'll let them. But if they don't seem interested I probably won't encourage it. The window benches have already proved their worth, even without the cushions. My DS made a surprise visit home when he was in the U.S. on business and we had a big family dinner. The fruit trees and lilac bushes were in bloom and people loved perching on the benches by the open windows to catch the scents. For Lyban, the dogs are brother/sister littermate mini labradoodles. Turning 12 this year but still acting like pups! And, they did end up keeping their favorite loveseat! I convinced DH to move it in to their finished basement "dog room" (which is also DH's exercise room). We had to remove a cabinet to make it fit so DH had to rewire the TV & mount it to the wall. All's well that ends well ;)

Hi! Sorry I thought the thread was dead. Designer guy fell off the earth so I haven't seen the plaid sample or an alternative suggestion from him. While out shopping I couldn't find any blue fabric that was right. Most were the wrong material or color (I took my fabrics and paint samples out with me.) I managed to find one blue fabric that was 'ok' but at $60 a yard I passed. Found an oatmeal and cream fabric remnant in a clearance stack for $7 and bought it figuring I'd get something else if it turned up. What started out as just looking at the ottoman yesterday triggered a full on 'just get it done now' upholstery session. I'm so thankful DH was kind enough to help me pull (most!) of the staples out. To my surprise it actually ended up being somewhat difficult due to the size. I'm not used to seeing it so not sure what I think. Not happy with the sides. It's not as smooth as it should be. I think I was maybe over focused on making sure the top was smooth and not dimpled from the holes. (I succeeded.) Teeda - That's ok. I hope you're feeling better by now! Jjam Yes, we use it for our feet. I really like that blue fabric with the gold! I much prefer that over solid blue. I don't know why I didn't think of that. I had a terrible time finding blue fabric. I don't think the light color will get dirty but this will be a good test. The kids don't eat or drink in here. Peppa you're seeing Teeda's generous mock up, lol. After liking Teeda's mock up so much I ordered this print and plan to frame it in gold. It's a little larger than the floral painting I had. I also ordered this one for over the wing chair wanting to tie more blue and it will have a simple black frame. I'll post photos when the art comes and I have the room in order. I'm not sure if I'll keep the ottoman in the cream fabric or recover in a blue. I do really like the fabric Jjam linked to with the gold and kind of wish I would have discovered it sooner. I need to live with it for a few weeks and see. I'm considering this lamp for beside the wing chair. Was going to use it to the right between chair and tv. There's not a ton of space so I think something with a fabric shade isn't going to work. I could maybe do a torchier lamp but I don't really care for them. I originally wanted brass but found this one and like it in the 'rust' color shown. I also like that the height goes up to 62" and the head adjusts and can be angled vs. just straight out. This was option two. Only goes to 55" but I think I remember reading a review somewhere saying it only goes to 53". I'd have to check again. I think the one above would fit the space better. Feel free to chime in on lamps. Of course the ottoman is now the cream/oatmeal fabric.