---
title: "Ottoman With Backrest: Make a Lounge Chair or Small Sectional"
url: "https://cushionguide.com/answers/add-backrest-to-ottoman/"
section: "The Cutting Table"
author: "Harlan Pruitt, The Elder of High Point"
author_url: "https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/"
published: "2026-06-25"
updated: "2026-09-24"
keywords: "ottoman with backrest, ottoman lounge chair, modular floor sofa backrest, L-shaped backrest, floor sofa ottoman"
---

# Can I add a backrest to the ottoman to make a chair or small sofa?

*An ottoman is half a chair waiting for its other half. Give it a back and it starts pulling its weight in the room.*

Also asked as: Can the ottoman become a small sofa?; Is there a chair version of the modular sofa?

> **The quick answer:** You can add a backrest to the modular floor sofa's ottoman and turn it into a lounge chair or a small L-shaped sectional. Choose an L-shaped corner backrest or a straight one; either is a separate, movable piece held from behind by metal bars, and it can be bought later through a custom link. The ottoman-with-backrest chair also lays flat or folds back.

![Forest green and cream stripe box cushion on an oak bench with two cream velvet back pillows, curtain and dried flowers](https://cushionguide.com/media/bench-cushions/green-stripe-oak-bench-cushion-cream-velvet-pillows-1024.webp "Narrow green-and-cream stripes on a deep box seat, softened by two plump cream velvet pillows on a light oak slab bench by the window.")

## Key facts

- A backrest can be added to the ottoman to make a chair or a small sectional.
- Both L-shaped (corner) and straight backrests are made for the ottoman.
- The ottoman backrest is a separate, movable piece.
- Metal bars support it from behind, like the standard sofa backrests.
- The ottoman-with-backrest chair has connected layers that lay flat or fold back.
- A sofa bought with the extra ottoman includes a backrest cushion.
- A 39 in (99 cm) straight cushion can fill the gap between two corner pieces.
- The ottoman module is 39 x 39 in (100 x 100 cm) and about 14.5 in (37 cm) high.
- Adding the ottoman extends the sofa to about 118 in (300 cm).

## Three ways to put a back on an ottoman

| Option | What it makes | How it's built | Choose it when |
|---|---|---|---|
| L-shaped (corner) backrest | A small L-shaped sectional or corner lounge | Separate corner piece, held by metal bars from behind | The ottoman sits at the end of the sofa or in a corner |
| Straight backrest | A seat with a back along one side | Separate straight piece, held by metal bars from behind | The ottoman lines up with the sofa, or two pieces need bridging |
| Ottoman-with-backrest chair | A single-seat lounge chair | Connected layers that lay flat or fold back | You want a chair that also opens into a floor pad |

## Why the ottoman backrest needs no wall

The ottoman backrest is its own piece. You can set it wherever you like, and it's held up from behind by [metal support bars](https://cushionguide.com/glossary/#metal-support-bars), the same way the standard backrests on the [modular floor sofa](https://cushionguide.com/cushions/modular-floor-sofas/) are held. On the sofa itself, four bars do that job, two at the sides and two at the back, so it doesn't need a wall.

That's why you can buy the ottoman plain today and give it a back next season through a custom link. Nothing about the ottoman has to change. Give the color in your order note so the back matches, in [corduroy](https://cushionguide.com/fabrics/corduroy/) or whatever your sofa wears.

## Closing the gap between two corners

When a layout has two corner pieces with open floor between them, a straight 39 in (99 cm) cushion set between the corners closes it. A straight backrest between two sofas does the same job along the back line.

If you buy the sofa with the extra ottoman, a backrest cushion is already included, so check your set before you order another. The [modular layouts Pattern](https://cushionguide.com/guides/modular-floor-sofa-layouts/) shows how the pieces combine. How does your room want to be sat in, my friend: one long seat, or a corner to fold into?

> **Tailor's margin:** An ottoman backrest is a separate piece held by metal bars, so an ottoman bought plain can become a lounge chair later.

> An ottoman with a backrest is a lounge chair whose connected layers lay flat as a floor pad or fold back into a seat.
>
> — Harlan

## Buyer questions

**A common question:** Can I add a backrest to the ottoman to make a small sofa?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, with an L-shaped (corner) backrest or a straight one; the straight one costs less. If you buy the sofa with the extra ottoman, a backrest cushion is included.

**A common question:** Do you make a single-seat chair version of the modular sofa?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The ottoman with a backrest works as a lounge chair. Its layers are connected, so it lays flat or folds back into a chair; give the color in your order note.

**A common question:** Can the ottoman get a backrest so my sofa becomes an L-shaped sectional?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. The ottoman backrest is made to order and sent through a custom purchase link.

**A common question:** Is the ottoman backrest detachable, and is anything holding it up?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes, it's a separate piece you can place wherever you like, and metal bars support it from behind, like the standard sofa backrests.

**A common question:** Can I add an L-shaped backrest later, or a straight piece between two corners?

**The workshop's answer:** Yes. An extra L-shaped backrest turns the ottoman into a small sectional and can be bought later through the same link. A 39 in straight cushion between two corner pieces was quoted as a custom item.

## Questions buyers ask next

### Do I need a wall behind an ottoman with a backrest?

No. The backrest is held from behind by metal bars, like the sofa's own backrests. On the sofa, two side bars and two back bars hold the back cushions, which is why it can float in the middle of a room.

### What color are the support bars?

The bars are silver chrome. They stand behind the back cushions, so from the front of the sofa you mostly see fabric, with a glint of metal at the sides.

### Will a backrest bought later match my sofa's fabric?

Give the fabric and color code from your first order. Fabric stock is kept, so later pieces can be made in your original fabric, and the custom link is set up from those codes.

## Related at the atelier

- [Can I buy a single straight backrest pillow for my floor sofa, and what size is it?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/straight-backrest-pillow-floor-sofa-size/): Yes, the straight backrest for the floor sofa is sold on its own and measures 39 x 15 x 15 in (100 x 39 x 39 cm).
- [How many metal bars hold up the backrests on a floor sofa?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/floor-sofa-backrest-support-bars/): A standard modular floor sofa comes with 4 metal support bars: 2 for the sides and 2 along the back that hold the back cushions.
- [Can the floor sofa backrests be made slimmer, smaller or taller?](https://cushionguide.com/answers/custom-slimmer-floor-sofa-backrests/): Yes, floor sofa backrests can be made slimmer: L-shaped and straight backrests have been remade 7 in (18 cm) deep instead of 15 in (39 cm).
- [Assembling floor sofa metal bars, and keeping the sofa from sliding](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-support-bars-assembly/): Floor sofa metal bars join by twisting and pushing each section until the small spring dots click into their holes; no screws are needed.
- [Corduroy modular floor sofas and cushions: wale size, nap direction, why no piping](https://cushionguide.com/guides/corduroy-cushions-wale-nap-direction/): A corduroy cushion for a sofa or floor seat should be wide wale, roughly 3 to 8 ribs per inch, with every piece cut so the nap runs the same way.
- [Modular Floor Sofa in Dusty Rose Velvet for a Reading Corner](https://cushionguide.com/readings/dusty-rose-floor-sofa-pothos-shelf-reading-corner/): A modular floor sofa works as a reading corner when it borrows the patio's habits and keeps indoor fabric.
- [Corner floor sofa layouts: L-shapes, U-shapes, open or closed corners, straight runs](https://cushionguide.com/guides/modular-floor-sofa-layouts/)
- [Can you sleep on a floor sofa? Bed size, firmness and sheets](https://cushionguide.com/guides/floor-sofa-bed-size-firmness/)

*Sit well. — Harlan*

---

Written by Harlan Pruitt (https://cushionguide.com/masters/harlan/) for CushionGuide (https://cushionguide.com/about/). The site explains made-to-measure cushions and the partner workshop makes them; measurements are in inches first. This Markdown mirrors the page at https://cushionguide.com/answers/add-backrest-to-ottoman/