LOVE THIS RUG! Looks just like the pic and is softer than a real cowhide (which is the only natural hide I could afford), both in color and texture. I'm embarrassed to say that I tried 4 rugs in the seating area around the hearth. None of them fit for one reason or another and one stank so much I couldn't bear it. The irregular shape of this is refreshing and I don't have to think about the poor animal it came from. The pile is low which I like. People keep asking if it's real. Even my cousin, who loves the log cabin look, loved it!