This paper is understated but beautiful which was exactly what I was looking for. The background is white not off-white.  I had never put up wallpaper before so it was a bit scary to start. The instructions recommended that you prep the walls by rolling a sealer on first. I purchased this from Home Hardware. It was very easy to find the pattern and match it on the wall. I did have trouble with some tearing when I was trimming the edges because the knife blade has to be very sharp and the glue makes it dull. I would suggest having lots of extra blades on hand to prevent tearing when trimming. I would highly recommend this paper!