I think the ottoman is a good size. Our couch is 84" wide and our ottoman is 40" square. I wouldnt go any wider than 44" though.

Wow, unanimous for the hinged ottoman so far! Cool. That one does make sense since I'm not planning to use the ottoman as a table where I would want the tray, and vampiressrn (uh, are you a vampire nurse???) has a good point that I can always put my own tray on top. Amy, you're cracking me up. You're as bad as I am with being overly-analytical. (I get it from my mom - you should hear the conversation she and I had about this earlier. ;-)) That said, I actually have no idea *what* I would be storing in the ottoman. Maybe hats, gloves, & folding umbrellas (to get them off the coat closet shelf), or maybe computer supplies (which might make the ottoman too heavy to move around easily...hmmm). Nicole, I'm not that smart. Purse going on top of ottoman right by door. Not bright. ;-)

Good morning! Trigger pulled on #1. I'll post pics with and without the shelf. When I ordered a rug last year from O, it was here in 2 days. Praying it shows up in one piece and is as nice as those reviews say. Oh, and I did use my 7% coupon. However, I couldn't figure out how to go through ebates AND use the discount (had to activate it through my email and couldn't find an actual code to plug in) so I figure I'll contact ebates later.

Deeinohio - Thanks so much for suggesting Craigslist. I didn't even look there because I rarely find anything close by (and time is an issue). After you posted, I did a quick search and the first item that popped up was the chest below for $75. Just picked it up, and the seller couldn't have been nicer. It's not my style, but is functional and will get the job done for the time being without spending a fortune. I'll keep looking for something that better fits our decor, but at least now I can get the bedding off the floor! Thanks for all the suggestions! Here is a link that might be useful: Wood chest