This runner was much darker in person than I had hoped for, however it fit my needs. I bought this rug to help tie together the greys, browns, taupes and blacks in my living room. This rug does that well. It will also be resilient in my home of three small children and dog. I have attached pictures that I think more accurately show the colors of the rug. The center background is grey, (not tan, as the J&M picture shows).