diff --git a/images/icon_tile.png b/images/icon_tile.png
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4710e2a7
Binary files /dev/null and b/images/icon_tile.png differ
diff --git a/stylesheets/_conversation.scss b/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
index 6a6007f3..f70c5114 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_conversation.scss
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@
   margin: 0;
   padding: 1em 0;
   overflow-y: auto;
+  background-color: #ffffff;
 
   .timestamp {
     cursor: pointer;
diff --git a/stylesheets/_global.scss b/stylesheets/_global.scss
index 977a4c3b..c1db267e 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_global.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_global.scss
@@ -267,17 +267,20 @@ $avatar-size: 44px;
 .contact {
   position: relative;
   padding: 12px;
-  background: white;
   cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.2s;
   white-space: nowrap;
   overflow: hidden;
-  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(#aaa, 0.8);
+  box-shadow: 0 0px 1px rgba(#aaa, 0.8);
 
   &:hover {
     background: #f8f8f8;
   }
 
+  &.selected {
+    background: $blue;
+    color: #ffffff;
+  }
+
   &:last-child::after {
     display: none;
   }
diff --git a/stylesheets/_index.scss b/stylesheets/_index.scss
index e5eb9222..b159b500 100644
--- a/stylesheets/_index.scss
+++ b/stylesheets/_index.scss
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 .gutter {
+  background: $grey_l;
   padding: $header-height 0 0;
 }
 
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@
 }
 
 .conversation-stack {
+  background: url('/images/icon_tile.png');
   padding-left: 300px;
   padding-top: $header-height;
   .conversation {
@@ -114,6 +116,9 @@ input.search {
   font-size: smaller;
 }
 
+.new-contact, .contacts {
+  background: $grey_l;
+}
 .new-contact {
   display: none;
   .contact-name { display: none; }
diff --git a/stylesheets/manifest.css b/stylesheets/manifest.css
index d2556ce9..42b61b59 100644
--- a/stylesheets/manifest.css
+++ b/stylesheets/manifest.css
@@ -224,14 +224,15 @@ img.emoji {
 .contact {
   position: relative;
   padding: 12px;
-  background: white;
   cursor: pointer;
-  transition: background 0.2s;
   white-space: nowrap;
   overflow: hidden;
-  box-shadow: 0 1px 3px rgba(170, 170, 170, 0.8); }
+  box-shadow: 0 0px 1px rgba(170, 170, 170, 0.8); }
   .contact:hover {
     background: #f8f8f8; }
+  .contact.selected {
+    background: #2090ea;
+    color: #ffffff; }
   .contact:last-child::after {
     display: none; }
   .contact .contact-details {
@@ -345,6 +346,7 @@ img.emoji {
   to {
     transform: rotate(360deg); } }
 .gutter {
+  background: #f3f3f3;
   padding: 36px 0 0; }
 
 .conversation-stack,
@@ -379,6 +381,7 @@ img.emoji {
     background: url("/images/error_red.png") no-repeat left center; }
 
 .conversation-stack {
+  background: url("/images/icon_tile.png");
   padding-left: 300px;
   padding-top: 36px; }
   .conversation-stack .conversation {
@@ -429,6 +432,9 @@ input.search {
 .last-timestamp {
   font-size: smaller; }
 
+.new-contact, .contacts {
+  background: #f3f3f3; }
+
 .new-contact {
   display: none; }
   .new-contact .contact-name {
@@ -554,7 +560,8 @@ input.search {
 .message-list {
   margin: 0;
   padding: 1em 0;
-  overflow-y: auto; }
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  background-color: #ffffff; }
   .message-list .timestamp {
     cursor: pointer; }
     .message-list .timestamp:hover {