Picture a small stack of books, a mug on the floor and a spot by the armchair where nobody quite knows what to put down. A circle of pale grey jute fills that gap nicely, and this round jute rug in light grey does it without making a fuss.

Its surface is 80% jute and 20% cotton, and the felt backing has PVC nubs. It was woven by hand in India, so the texture is natural and a little uneven. Jute feels firmer and a little rougher underfoot than wool. It has a border and a plain centre, so the design stays quiet.

Being flat woven, there's no pile to trap crumbs, and anything that lands on it comes off easily. The circle softens the straight lines of a sofa and side tables, and it tucks neatly under a round table too. Pale grey makes it a soft choice among our round rugs. It works as a lounge rug beside the sofa, and as a dining room rug under the table. To judge how big to go, mark a circle on the floor with masking tape and check it against our size guide. The weave is fine over underfloor heating.

Light grey keeps the natural look of our jute rugs, only in a cooler tone.

Jute prefers to stay dry, so vacuum with the brush switched off and skip the steam, as our page on how to clean your rug explains. If a drink goes over, press kitchen roll onto it straight away so no ring forms, and scrape off anything that has dried before you vacuum.