Alexandra Richards’ NYC Loft

What can you say about Moroccan Poufs?

Among the many glorifications you can bestow on these eclectic, compact leather ottomans, the most important compliment you can apply to them is that they universally work in any home of any style.  In the world of interior décor, this is a true rarity. 

Whether your abode is traditional & formal, minimalist, modern, bohemian or low-budget cute, this little scene-stealer will accent your space in a way that instantly punctuates the room with exclamation-pointed reactions from your guests.

What makes the broad appeal to these delectable little morsels even more so is that they can be used in so many different and functional ways. 

They work especially well by providing extra seating in space-challenged apartments or homes.  Poufs work well as side tables, in children’s rooms or outdoor patios, or you can decoratively stack three or four in a row for use as a soft coffee table to place books, magazines or laptops.

Now here’s the fun part:  They come in a myriad of hues from staid neutrals and earthy browns & mustards to feminine whites & pastels to silver & gold metallics to bright candy-colored bolds. 

If you’re the creative type, you can customize your pouf by choosing, let’s say, thick white-colored stitching for a black pouf, or a rich burgandy stitch on a white one to make yours really pop in a room.

Jessica Alba’s Nursery

The leather pouf is not the only style out there.  CB2 sells a sturdy, tightly-knitted pouf in a dark slate gray or a deep blood orange for $89, but my heart belongs to the leather version, so praises and focus are reserved for the “O.G.” pouf.

These darlings range in price from “Are you crazy?” to “Wow, I’ll take 3!”  The quality is where the price chasms come in. 

The most popular designer for those in-the-know types is John Derian.  He sells his leathers for $295, with metallic running at $345 (Yikes, if you’d like to purchase two or three!). 

Derian’s products are made with the best leather, are hand-dyed & hand-stitched in Morocco and will last you a lifetime … until you heirloom them to your kids or favorite niece or nephew.

You can scour Amazon.com and eBay to find some great looking poufs ranging from $120 – $150, stuffed or unstuffed, real leather or faux leather, but you’ve got to do your research by reading customer feedback to see if buyers were satisfied with the product, and by emailing sellers with questions about quality and return policies. Esty.com claims to have “John Derian” style poufs starting at $125, and I must say, they do look quite gorgeous.

If you’re on a tighter budget, you can find poufs at $35 – $45 a piece, but they are usually not stuffed and never quite have the look of their more expensive counterparts … but, hey, you can still have a coveted pouf in your space until you decide if purchasing a more expensive one is something you want to do.  

And, if you’re creative and style savvy, you can make anyone beg to know where in the world you got your cute little marshmallow.

Check out www.importsfrommarrakesh.com or www.authenticmorocco.com for more beautifying inspiration.

Dreamy bedroom poufs

Create a coffee table alternative

Too formal? Add a pouf!