Solid Wool Soft Yellow Rug

Is there anything kinder to a north facing room than a pale yellow rug? Soft Yellow is a buttery shade close to sand, woven by hand in wool with a subtle shading across the low pile, as though a slant of afternoon sun had settled there for good.

In a London mansion flat, laid in the bay window with a rattan chair, a stack of ceramics and white linen at the glass, it lifts the whole room without raising its voice. It also behaves beautifully alongside oak floors, black leather and framed prints. If you want a reading corner or a bedside, 180 x 270 cm is ample. A three seater with a coffee table is happiest on 200 x 300 cm, a larger lounge calls for 250 x 350 cm, and 300 x 400 cm turns a big living room into one warm, unified zone.

Layered, a Swedish label, has each piece hand woven in India from wool, with a close pile of about 15 mm, and it suits underfloor heating. As a handmade rug it may show minor differences in dimensions and colour. New wool sheds lightly at the start, which settles with regular vacuuming on a setting without a beater bar. Treat any spill straight away by blotting with a clean, dry cloth.