Discover the herringbone, worked as a woven jacquard

Herringbone is one of the oldest patterns in textiles, a broken twill in which short diagonal runs reverse direction at regular intervals. Woven here as a jacquard in wool, it appears across the full 160 x 230 cm as a fine directional texture rather than a graphic print, so the eye reads rhythm before it reads pattern. That is the quality which makes it durable as a decorating choice: a herringbone wool rug holds its interest for years in a way a bolder motif rarely manages.

The scale suits a medium-sized sitting room, a bedroom or a study, large enough to define a seating area yet manageable to lift and move. Wool gives the rug body and resilience, and the tight jacquard structure keeps the surface even underfoot. The design is also offered in various sizes, so the same weave can be carried from one room to the next without any change of texture.

Why wool behaves well in a lived-in room

Wool is hypoallergenic and naturally insulating. The fibre is crimped, which traps pockets of air; that is what makes a wool rug feel warm on a cold floor and what allows it to absorb sound in rooms with hard surfaces and little upholstery. The same structure holds soil near the top of the pile instead of letting it settle at the base, so regular hoovering keeps the rug genuinely clean rather than simply looking clean.

Each rug is a handmade piece in a traditional natural fabric, so shades and textures differ slightly from one to another. During the first few weeks the rug will release some fibre, which hoovering removes; the shedding then stops of its own accord. Pair the herringbone jacquard with oak or teak furniture and undyed linen, and let the weave supply the pattern so that the rest of the room can stay plain.