Picture a round beige check under the dining table, with a cup of coffee going cold while someone finishes the crossword. This rug is woven from 100% polypropylene, and the pile is flat, so chairs are easy to shuffle back from the table. Round in shape, it has a jute backing and is made on machine looms in Turkey.

The squares of the checkerboard rug come out crisp because it is jacquard-woven, and the colour stays an even beige all over. It works as a circle rug in the living room or dining room, and since it is also an outdoor rug, it is fine outdoors too. It suits underfloor heating. Hot pans and irons are not, so keep those away. Its synthetic fibre copes with a terrace, and beside an armchair it makes a compact living room rug. Before ordering, choose a diameter that suits the table or reading corner.

Polypropylene takes in hardly any water, so a spill on the beige check lingers on the surface and gives you time to blot. Follow up with a cloth and a weak soap solution, then dab with clean water, as described in our rug care guide. Only heat is a problem.