Basket Weave Sisal Natural Rug

Walk into a boot room on a wet Saturday and you will see why this rug in Natural earns its place: plain, honey coloured sisal, woven by hand into a small basket weave that looks neat and feels firm. Nothing is dyed or disguised here. The pale gold of the agave fibre does all the talking, and the regular little squares give the floor a tidy, tailored finish.

Lay the 75 x 240 cm runner from the back door through to the kitchen of a Cotswold cottage, where it softens cold flagstones and shrugs off wellies and dog paws. Elsewhere, 140 x 200 cm suits a spare bedroom, 180 x 270 cm a snug, and 200 x 300 cm a sitting room with a sofa and two chairs. 250 x 350 cm and 300 x 400 cm cover a larger room almost wall to wall.

This is 100% sisal, a fibre drawn from the leaves of the agave plant, handwoven in Bhadohi, India, to a height of about 8 mm. It is coarser and stiffer than jute, hence hard wearing enough for hallways, and it can go over underfloor heating. Small variations in size and colour are part of the handmade character. Washing is out of the question, since sisal swells with moisture. Vacuum frequently, lift it outdoors from time to time to shake and air it, and blot any spill quickly with a dry cloth.