Pale blue goes well with whitewashed pine, grey bedding or a cream blanket thrown over a chair. The Breeze in light blue is a hallway runner with a deep, fluffy surface, and it takes the cool edge off a plain wooden floor without fighting with the furniture.

The pile is 100% polyester, so the yarn feels soft, and the backing is cotton. It is machine-woven in China, which gives it a precise, even finish. The colour is plain, with no pattern to compete with a patterned duvet or a busy curtain.

Because it is a long, narrow shape, it fits where a square rug never would: along the side of a bed in the bedroom, or in a child's room as a soft strip to sit on while playing. It also works as a Runner Rug in a hall, where a soft synthetic fibre rug like this takes the chill off bare boards. Lay a tape measure along the hall before choosing the right size. The Breeze also comes in beige, a deeper blue, cream, dark brown, dark grey and green. Our bedroom rugs and the nursery rug in this blue shade share the same soft feel, and the rug is fine over underfloor heating.

Deep pile needs some attention. Comb it out with your fingers or a wide-toothed comb so it doesn't mat, and brush flattened spots against the lie of the pile. An underlay cut a little short of the edges keeps it flat, and turning it regularly, as our care guide suggests, spreads the wear.