In front of a kitchen worktop, a runner marks the spot where you stand longest. Taupe sits between grey and brown, so it blends with wood and white units. The Gabbeh Lola in this shade fits there calmly.

Short pile keeps this low pile rug flat, and it lies just as neatly beside a bed. A taupe rug like this suits stone or wooden floors. Heated floors are fine for it, and in a hallway it makes a quiet hall runner.

Sheep provide the natural fibre. In this wool rug it makes up all of the pile and the backing, and the runner is woven by hand in India. Pure wool and a slim shape put it with our wool rugs and our runner rugs at once.

Handmade lengths can differ slightly. Measure the stretch you want to cover, then use the size guide to see how much floor to leave at each end.

Knowing how to clean your rug matters in a kitchen, and for the taupe Lola it starts with regular vacuuming, which settles the loose fibres new wool sheds at first. Snip a stray thread with scissors rather than tugging it, and dampen a furniture dent lightly. The springy wool pile usually rises again.