I ordered this rug to go with a sofa that I changed my mind on. I already had the rug and decided to keep it and use it in a different room. I wasn't sure how it would look, but it seems to be somewhat of a neutral chameleon that works well in a variety of spaces. I'm using it in a home office and it is tying together a contemporary/modern look. The color is more charcoal and cream than black and white. The charcoal lines have a watercolor effect, so the color really ranges from light gray to black. The background is definitely an off-white color.  The rug is shedding a little more than I expected from a tightly woven/short nap piece, but I'm no expert and the shedding isn't exces sive.  I'm happy with it.