Thanks to the other reviews, and after, watching this rug for over a year, I took the plunge and it arrived today. Yes, the boarder on my rug is milk chocolate in natural light and is espresso instead of black. In the low greatroom light, it looks black. Very nice design with sage and cranberry red throughout. Works well with my decor & sage sofa. Thick too with a teeny bit of shedding. This rug had a mix of nylon and wool, so that's probably why there is less shedding. No smell at all. In these pics, it looks Black and Tan. Works for me.