This rug was exactly what I was looking for.  The color is more like a "cream" or "ivory" with patches of heathered oatmeal and grey.  It ends up looking very neutral, which is what I wanted. Looks great with greens, yellows, and warm wood colors.  So far, I haven't seen a shedding problem like some other wool rugs have, but one thing to be mindful of -- If you have cats (like I do), they will be tempted to scratch and pull on the looped carpet.  It's something I've come to terms with.  :-) If that's something that will bother you, I'd recommend skipping this rug and finding one with a shorter pile and no loops.