Plain cream, with no pattern competing for attention, only an even, soft surface that brightens darker floorboards. The Panda in cream keeps a room light and leaves colour to the cushions, throws and pictures around it.

Pure wool, through and through. Pile and back are hand woven in India. Wool comes from sheep, and the fibre is hard to set alight and doesn't melt, a comforting thought when candles stand on a low table nearby. Among our wool rugs, the Panda is one of the quiet, plain ones.

Short and dense, the pile feels warm under bare feet without being bulky. Lounges suit it too, where this low pile rug lies by the sofa or under a coffee table. Over underfloor heating it stays flat.

Beside the bed it makes a gentle first step, one of our bedroom rugs in a shade that never feels heavy. Several sizes are on offer, and the size guide shows how far the cream wool should reach out from the bed frame.

Spills on cream wool are blotted with a pale cloth from the edge inwards, never rubbed, as our page on how to clean your rug explains. A few loose fibres come up at first and settle down with regular vacuuming. Put an underlay a bit smaller than the Panda underneath so its corners stay flat.