Can I change the original upholstery?

Yes. Fabric wears out and needs replacing. Very few pieces retain their first covering. Keep the original horsehair and springs if they remain sound. A good upholsterer can work over the top of the historical foundation.

My grandmother gave me one that has wooden legs but they seem to end very abruptly at the bottom, so should it have little brass wheels?

Most mid to late nineteenth-century examples sat on castors. If the legs look unexpectedly short and end in a flat stump, the castors are likely missing. Turn the piece over and check the bottom of the legs. You'll often see a central hole where the castor pin once sat.

What is a box ottoman?

A stool built over a hollow carcase with a hinged seat. The top lifts up to reveal a storage compartment. They appear frequently in nineteenth-century homes.

I have been looking for a matched pair of these to go on either side of my fireplace but I can only ever seem to find single ones for sale?

Matched pairs are scarce. Makers usually produced antique Ottoman stools as single accent pieces for a room rather than as sets. When a genuine pair does surface, they tend to get split up over generations of inheritance. Buying two separate ones of similar size and having them covered in the same fabric is a common workaround.

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Antique Ottoman Stools Dated 1900 - 1920

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Low, backless upholstered seats designed to rest weary feet or provide secondary seating in a busy parlour. They range from simple padded platforms on turned wooden legs to deep-buttoned Victorian examples.