I've been looking for a large cow hide rug for our living room for a modern European feel, but didn't want to splurge on a real cow hide rug if I didn't end up liking how it looked. I ended up absolutely loving this rug and am thrilled I got it for such a good price! I went for the lighter blonde shade with gold flecks and it looks so good! It feels sturdy, and despite having two dogs (one of which being big and dopey) the rug isn't shedding much and the gold leafing seems to be holding up.