Deep red is a brave choice, and this one earns it. The Bidjar in red suits a cream sofa, a dark timber floor or a room that has gone a bit beige. It brings a warmth no cushion can quite match. The pattern is oriental in style, so it sits comfortably in both traditional and plain modern rooms.

Underfoot, the short-pile surface keeps the design crisp. Over underfloor heating it is fine too. A cold winter morning in the bedroom is a little more pleasant.

This is a wool rug through and through: the pile is 100% wool and so is the backing. Wool fibre is crimped, and those little kinks trap air, which is why it feels springy rather than flat. It was knotted by hand in India, one knot at a time. Look at the fringe at each end and you are seeing the loose ends of the warp threads the rug was built on. Small variations in the red, from different batches of wool, are part of a hand-knotted rug.

For an oriental look in the lounge, the Bidjar fits nicely. It works well in a living room, under a coffee table, or under the front feet of a sofa, and equally well in a dining room or in a bedroom, where it sits out from the sides of the bed. Red living room rugs like the Bidjar look their richest when the sofa and walls stay quiet, and tape on the floor makes choosing the right size easier. The same design also comes in cream, and as a runner in both colours.

Press marks from heavy furniture usually lift if you dampen the spot lightly and give the wool a minute. Every few months, beat it gently from the back and air it, and turn it round so the sun and the main walkways are shared out, as set out on our rug care page. Regular vacuuming helps the loose fibres that new wool rugs shed settle down.