diff --git a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
index 08810662c..04cf65c05 100644
--- a/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
+++ b/src/GoldenCheetah.cpp
@@ -121,6 +121,9 @@ void
 GcWindow::paintEvent(QPaintEvent * /*event*/)
 {
     static QPixmap closeImage = QPixmap(":images/toolbar/popbutton.png");
+    static QPixmap aluBar = QPixmap(":images/aluBar.png");
+    static QPixmap aluBarDark = QPixmap(":images/aluBarDark.png");
+    static QPixmap aluLight = QPixmap(":images/aluLight.jpg");
 
     if (contentsMargins().top() > 0) {
         // draw a rectangle in the contents margins
@@ -129,15 +132,21 @@ GcWindow::paintEvent(QPaintEvent * /*event*/)
         // setup a painter and the area to paint
         QPainter painter(this);
 
+        // background light gray for now?
+        QRect all(0,0,width(),height());
+        painter.drawTiledPixmap(all, aluLight);
+
         // fill in the title bar
         QRect bar(0,0,width(),contentsMargins().top());
         QColor bg;
-        if (property("active").toBool() == true)
+        if (property("active").toBool() == true) {
             bg = GColor(CTILEBARSELECT);
-        else
+            painter.drawPixmap(bar, aluBarDark);
+        } else {
             bg = GColor(CTILEBAR);
+            painter.drawPixmap(bar, aluBar);
+        }
 
-        painter.fillRect(bar, bg);
 
         // heading
         QFont font;
diff --git a/src/HomeWindow.cpp b/src/HomeWindow.cpp
index a21b15d97..e7d818698 100644
--- a/src/HomeWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/HomeWindow.cpp
@@ -28,6 +28,12 @@ HomeWindow::HomeWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow) :
 
     QVBoxLayout *layout = new QVBoxLayout(this);
 
+#if 0
+    QPalette mypalette;
+    mypalette.setBrush(this->backgroundRole(), QBrush(QImage(":/images/dark.jpg")));
+    setPalette(mypalette);
+#endif
+
     QFont bigandbold;
     bigandbold.setPointSize(bigandbold.pointSize() + 2);
     bigandbold.setWeight(QFont::Bold);
@@ -87,12 +93,14 @@ HomeWindow::HomeWindow(MainWindow *mainWindow) :
 
     winWidget = new QWidget(this);
     winWidget->setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
+    QPalette palette;
+    palette.setBrush(winWidget->backgroundRole(), QBrush(QImage(":/images/carbon.jpg")));
+    winWidget->setPalette(palette);
     //tileWidget->setMouseTracking(true);
     //tileWidget->installEventFilter(this);
 
-    winFlow = new GcWindowLayout(winWidget);
-    winFlow->setSpacing(0);
-    winFlow->setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
+    winFlow = new GcWindowLayout(winWidget, 0, 20, 20);
+    winFlow->setContentsMargins(20,20,20,20);
 
     winArea = new QScrollArea(this);
     winArea->setWidgetResizable(true);
@@ -349,9 +357,10 @@ HomeWindow::addChart(GcWindow* newone)
                               (2*(winArea->contentsMargins().left()+winArea->contentsMargins().right()))
                               - ((2*widthFactor) * 6) ) / widthFactor;
 #else
-                int newwidth = (winArea->width() - 20 -
-                              (2*(winArea->contentsMargins().left()+winArea->contentsMargins().right()))
-                              - ((1+widthFactor) * 5) ) / widthFactor;
+                int newwidth = (winArea->width() - 20 /* scrollbar */
+                               - 40 /* left and right marings */
+                               - ((widthFactor-1) * 20) /* internal spacing */
+                               ) / widthFactor;
 #endif
 
                 int newheight = (winArea->height() -
@@ -451,9 +460,10 @@ HomeWindow::resizeEvent(QResizeEvent *)
                           (2*(winArea->contentsMargins().left()+winArea->contentsMargins().right()))
                           - ((2*widthFactor) * 6) ) / widthFactor;
 #else
-            int newwidth = (winArea->width() - 20 -
-                          (2*(winArea->contentsMargins().left()+winArea->contentsMargins().right()))
-                          - ((1+widthFactor) * 5) ) / widthFactor;
+                int newwidth = (winArea->width() - 20 /* scrollbar */
+                               - 40 /* left and right marings */
+                               - ((widthFactor-1) * 20) /* internal spacing */
+                               ) / widthFactor;
 #endif
             int newheight = (winArea->height() -
                           (winArea->contentsMargins().left()+winArea->contentsMargins().right())
diff --git a/src/MainWindow.cpp b/src/MainWindow.cpp
index 1cb2f366f..e44431aac 100644
--- a/src/MainWindow.cpp
+++ b/src/MainWindow.cpp
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ MainWindow::MainWindow(const QDir &home) :
                   "QTabWidget { background = Qt::white; };"
                   "::pane { FrameStyle = QFrame::NoFrame; border: 0px; };");
 
-    setContentsMargins(10,10,10,10);
+    setContentsMargins(0,0,0,0);
 
     QVariant unit = appsettings->value(this, GC_UNIT);
     useMetricUnits = (unit.toString() == "Metric");
diff --git a/src/application.qrc b/src/application.qrc
index 531846e0d..0f96b40cd 100644
--- a/src/application.qrc
+++ b/src/application.qrc
@@ -9,6 +9,11 @@
     <file>images/toolbar/main/home.png</file>
     <file>images/toolbar/main/measures.png</file>
     <file>images/toolbar/main/train.png</file>
+    <file>images/aluBar.png</file>
+    <file>images/aluBarDark.png</file>
+    <file>images/aluLight.jpg</file>
+    <file>images/carbon.jpg</file>
+    <file>images/dark.jpg</file>
     <file>images/twitter.png</file>
     <file>images/cyclist.png</file>
     <file>images/imetrics.png</file>
diff --git a/src/images/aluBar.png b/src/images/aluBar.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..420a92d52
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/aluBar.png differ
diff --git a/src/images/aluBarDark.png b/src/images/aluBarDark.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7f71bf838
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/aluBarDark.png differ
diff --git a/src/images/aluLight.jpg b/src/images/aluLight.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..715a094a4
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/aluLight.jpg differ
diff --git a/src/images/carbon.jpg b/src/images/carbon.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9aa0cfa99
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/carbon.jpg differ
diff --git a/src/images/dark.jpg b/src/images/dark.jpg
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5c4f7d600
Binary files /dev/null and b/src/images/dark.jpg differ