Maybe a better question is, “What IS a pouf?” They’ve been around forever (especially in South East Asia, Morocco, and India) and have become trendy in the US. I love how they are excellent extra seating, visually fun, and less of a commitment in terms of price. You know they are mainstream if West Elm (http://www.westelm.com/search/results.html?words=poufs&cm_sp=OnsiteSearch-_-GlobalNav-_-Button) is carrying them, but you can find some great ones from Surya (http://surya.com/poufs/) as well as one of my favorite designers, Jonathan Adler (http://www.jonathanadler.com/Moroccan-Pouf/). These little guys are great ways to add color as well as seating to any living area, small or large!