This was a very high quality rug. Based on others' reviews, I expected a more muted rust color, which was correct. Thick, somewhat soft. Per others' comments, the instructions say to vaccum *without* the rolling brush, presumably on bare floor mode. All said, this did not look good in my space, so I returned it. It did not contrast with our medium-tone wood floor, and the pattern was almost dizzying. The dark stripes are ineed that - dark, inset color. I thought it was just an effect of having shorter weave there and it created a shadow, but that was not the case.