Black and white checks give a room something to hold on to. Next to a pale sofa, oak floorboards or plain linen curtains, the Mona in black and white draws a clear graphic grid across the floor. Few colours are easier to pair.

Black and white Mona, woven by hand in India

Both pile and back are 100% wool, which makes this a wool rug right through. Each Mona is handwoven on a loom in India. Nothing is printed on top, because the warp and weft threads themselves build up the squares and the slightly ribbed feel underfoot. Among jaloom's wool rugs, the Mona stands out as a short-pile design with a woven grid.

Mona checks in the lounge and dining room

Among rugs for the living room, a checked rug like this pulls a seating area together when at least the front feet of the sofa and armchairs stand on it. Tape the outline on the floor and use our sizing tips to choose the Mona that fits your lounge. With chairs pulled back, the checkerboard rug still frames a table, so it also sits among our dining room rugs.

Caring for the black and white Mona

On the white squares, cleaning your rug after a spill means blotting with a pale cloth from the edge inwards, never rubbing. Snip a stray end of yarn level with scissors instead of pulling it. New wool sheds a few loose fibres at first, and that fades with regular vacuuming.