This is a lovely rug! It lays flat in no time and although some may wish a pad underneath it, as it is thin, we don't use one. It smells a bit, but it's not a chemical smell, after a few days of ventilating the space the smell subsides. It is soft(ish) and beautiful, consider offsetting it's intense pattern with solid colors on the furniture that sits on it or near it. (UPDATE: it has been a while and the smell still exists, again it's not a chemical smell, it is a fiber smell - still love the look of it in the room.)