Cream Rug: Ivory, Off-White and White Wool, Knotted by Hand

The Beni Ourain is the best known: a long, soft ivory pile carrying a loose lattice of diamonds in brown or black. The drawing is sparse and never quite regular, which is why it sits as happily in a modern flat as in an old house.

The Beni Mrirt is more tightly knotted and heavier. Many are a single field of cream, or carry a pattern of ribs and lines in the same tone that shows only when light falls across it. The Azilal has a lower pile and treats its pale ground as paper for free drawing in colour. Choose it when you want the lightness of a white rug without the emptiness.

On dark boards or dark tile, a cream rug is a strong contrast that organises the whole room: the seating group stands on an island of light. Here the rug should be generous, or it will look like a patch.

On pale oak, limed boards or light stone, a cream rug needs something to separate it from the floor. Depth of pile can do it, since a thick rug stands out by its surface alone. So can a dark line or lattice. Tone on tone works when the materials differ clearly: smooth timber below, deep wool above.

The question everyone asks is how it stays clean. Part of the answer is the fibre. Liquid beads on wool for a few minutes before it sinks in, and dry dirt sits loosely in the pile until it is vacuumed out. The rest is habit: in a household where outdoor shoes stop at the door, a pale wool rug stays presentable for years.

Placement helps as well. Cream is at ease in sitting rooms and bedrooms and harder work under a dining table or by the front door. If the house is busy, choose a pale rug with drawing on it. A Beni Ourain's dark lines or an Azilal's coloured marks draw the eye away from the small things.

Vacuum weekly with suction only. Blot spills at once with a white cloth and cold water. Never use bleach: it damages wool and turns it yellow. Strong direct sun warms the tone of pale wool slightly over the years, so turn the rug twice a year. A new rug sheds a little fluff for the first months.

The selection runs from narrow runners to rugs of about 10 × 13 ft 8 in. Beni Mrirt pieces are the most numerous, then Azilal, then Beni Ourain. Each rug is one of a kind, with its measured size on its page. Delivery is free worldwide, duties and taxes included.