The pouf looks great in my space and the brown color is a soft brown that works well in a neutral room. My son uses this ottoman as his seat to play video games (daily). It was very firm at first, but has softened quite a bit after a couple of months. I bought some filler and it looks new again. I love the pouf and would have given it higher star rating if it would have kept its shape longer. If it is not used frequently I assume it would stay firmer for longer period.