Picture the cream ABC on the floor of a living room or a bedroom, where it gives the room a calm, plain base. Cream keeps it simple. It has no pattern at all, just soft cream, so cushions and furniture can be as colourful as they like around it. Because the rug is rectangular, it also works well under a bed, reaching out at the sides.

The ABC is a wool rug with a 100% wool pile and a wool back, woven by hand in India. Its short, flat pile makes it easy to shift furniture across. It suits underfloor heating, and like our other wool rugs it feels soft underfoot. Laying a bit of masking tape on the floor first makes choosing the right size easier. A round version of this design in the same cream is also available.

Turning the rug now and then lets the sun and footfall spread evenly across the wool, and an airing and a gentle beating from the back helps too. On a smooth floor, a grip pad slightly smaller than the rug keeps it flat. For marks on the cream wool, our cleaning advice starts with blotting from the outside in, never rubbing.