The Real Reason You'll Want A Floor Pouf In Your Home

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Floor poufs have come a long way, even as the debate over whether bean bag chairs are outdated, or a stylish choice for modern homes rages on. Although they can still be shapeless sacks of nebulous filling, modern floor poufs can also be sleekly tailored into geometric shapes that almost defy their name. They're also deceptively versatile, valuable as an aesthetic accent, extra seating, and as a footstool all in one piece of furniture. But the real reason that poufs are practically compulsory for your home is that plenty of them have also been built with storage inside.

A floor pouf is often lower on the list of necessary furnishings, and it's certainly never going to be as urgent as something like a sofa. But a storage floor pouf deserves a higher position on your shopping list thanks to all of its cross-functionality and the added benefit of its hiding and tidying properties. Some cozy throw blankets, for example, can look great in every room in your home, but your most loved and used textiles might be better tucked away. And a hollow pouf is an excellent toy receptacle for anyone picking up after kids.

Storage poufs are ideal for living rooms because these rooms typically lack sufficient closed storage, such as closets, that you would have in other parts of the house. Unless you have a niche-use case, it's a good idea to choose a pouf that's about as high as your sofa seats to fully fit in. That way, when the pouf is in use as a stool you won't be sitting weirdly high or low. As well it will line up nicely when situated close to the couch for a kind of detached chaise effect.

If you do have kids or pets, you're already likely used to identifying the sturdiest, easiest to clean, materials. Something like a wood-topped pouf in few neutral colors obviously won't be as plush for sitting, but will be easy to wipe down. If that's less of a concern, Cmishe makes an ottoman pouf in stain-magnet, though elegant, beige, as well as a few other lighter colors. Or, should you have one lying around, there's also a smart way to use an unstuffed pouf for storage.