Why every room needs a pouffe – and where to buy 6 of the best

11/09/2015 10:34:00 am Unknown 0 Comments

Image: Carole Poirot

Well, another busy weekend has flown by. We had a great time entertaining old friends on Saturday – (chaos now that we all have several kids in tow, but great fun!) Which got me thinking...with Christmas fast approaching (sorry, I know it's still only November) we often start entertaining more often. Whether it's friends coming round for drinks or family staying for a fortnight, it can be tricky making sure everyone has a comfy perch from which to enjoy their coffee/mulled wine/mince pies. Standing round in the kitchen is all well and good, but there comes a point in the evening where everyone wants to kick back a bit. Which is one of the reasons I love a pouffe!

Now if the word pouffe has you thinking of enormous 1970s shiny leather monstrosities, then you are not alone. But rest assured, the humble pouffe has come a long way in recent years and there are now literally hundreds of stylish options that would work in any room. I've chosen a few of my favourites available on the high street or online below... but first, here are my top 5 reasons you need one!

1. Comfort. They're the perfect place to put your feet up - just put one by your favourite chair or sofa and watching TV just got much better.

2. Circles. Pouffes are a great way to add circles to a space – all rooms need a mixture of straight lines and curves, and usually we have too many straight lines. Throw in a couple of pouffes and see how you've instantly broken things up a bit and pleased the eye.

3. Colour and pattern. Even if you have a very restrained room scheme, you can vamp it up a bit with a great pouffe or two - add a dash of bright colour or a funky print to mix things up. This is a fairly safe (and easily changeable) way to inject some extra style. Think brightly coloured Moroccan leather pouffes (even available in silver or gold now) or a fabulous patterned fabric.

4. Flexible seating. For the sociable among you, you can seat more people! Kids especially love a pouffe (as do cats and dogs) so you can quickly double your seating options with a few pouffes. Perfect at Christmas.

5. Relaxed style. If everything is looking a bit formal, restrained or too perfect, then a pouffe or two helps to inject a more laid-back vibe. No one wants to feel like they can't relax in a room, and pouffes invite you to put your feet up...perfect!

So, what to buy? There's such a wide choice now, whether knitted, coir, upholstered, leather, velvet or metallic. The image above is a braided hemp pouffe in my kitchen (I couldn't resist showing you one of the new lookbook images from the online store) and I love it against the rich persian rug. But Anything goes, so pick something you love. Go for a matching pair, or mix them up for a more eclectic feel. To get you started, here are my top 6 buys...