we have a leather ottoman but it is as long as the couch so it is our coffee table. I am minimalist with decor, I put out a few knick knacks just so it looks like people live here. In my house, the only thing on the ottoman was a game we were playing, kid feet and a dog or two. Now it has tons of magazines that my dad reads and leaves for my mom, same with daily paper. Well, that would be fine except she is extremely ill, the most she ever reads is part of a newspaper and not every day. So the pile gets bigger, the dogs jump up on it, everything goes everywhere. I recycle the pile when no one is looking. A wooden tray with sides works well for serving food