As some other reviews have noted, the rug displays obvious "waves" when lying flat. No effort to flatten the raised areas has any effect. It's not as noticeable if you're standing directly on top of the rug looking downward, but from any other angle, the waves are distracting. Plus, there's a pungent smell of rubber (from the backing material maybe) that doesn't seem to lessen. The actual color, the jute's texture, and border area around the perimeter are fine, but given the raised areas / waves throughout the rug and the very strong rubber smell, am disappointed and would not recommend this rug.