Blue goes with grey sofas, white woodwork and a few ochre cushions, and the Phoenix shows it in a soft, faded vintage design. Easy to live with.

Its short pile is 100% polypropylene, woven by Jacquard machines in Turkey and finished with a jute backing. Those machines keep the lines of the pattern crisp. Polypropylene is sensitive to heat, so hot pans and irons should never sit on it.

The blue Phoenix is a low pile rug that suits a kitchen, a kids' room or a dining room, and underfloor heating is fine. Its yarn places it among our synthetic fibre rugs.

Living room seating looks like one group when at least the front feet of the sofa and armchairs rest on the rug. That rule helps when you choose from our living room rugs, and our sizing tips show the margin to add.

A brush-head vacuum is fine on the blue Phoenix, as our guide on how to clean your rug confirms. Brush flattened pile upright, and on smooth floors lay an underlay a little smaller than the rug. That stops creeping corners.