I liked the photo of this rug but when it arrived i was so pleasantly surprised, it's even better in  person.  The "gray" is a dark charcoal, sort of a graphite and the ivory is a little more on the ecru side (not tan).  That said, I think it's extremely neutral.  I had originally ordered it for the study but found something else for that space before this rug arrived so I put it "temporarily" in the foyer but it's pretty perfect for that spot as well.  It is quite thick and plush, I haven't noticed any shedding yet.  Couldn't be happier with it.