diff --git a/src/napari_matplotlib/base.py b/src/napari_matplotlib/base.py
index 8bbdafcc..7aad20ff 100644
--- a/src/napari_matplotlib/base.py
+++ b/src/napari_matplotlib/base.py
@@ -3,6 +3,15 @@
 from matplotlib.figure import Figure
 from qtpy.QtWidgets import QVBoxLayout, QWidget
 
+import matplotlib as mpl
+mpl.rc('axes', edgecolor='white')
+mpl.rc('axes', facecolor = '#262930')
+mpl.rc('axes', labelcolor = 'white')
+mpl.rc('savefig', facecolor = '#262930')
+mpl.rc('text', color = 'white')
+
+mpl.rc('xtick', color = 'white')
+mpl.rc('ytick', color = 'white')
 __all__ = ["NapariMPLWidget"]
 
 
@@ -31,7 +40,8 @@ def __init__(self, napari_viewer: napari.viewer.Viewer):
 
         self.viewer = napari_viewer
         self.figure = Figure(figsize=(5, 3), tight_layout=True)
-        self.canvas = FigureCanvas(self.figure)
+        self.canvas = FigureCanvas()
+        self.canvas.figure.patch.set_facecolor('#262930')
         self.toolbar = NavigationToolbar2QT(self.canvas, self)
         self.axes = self.canvas.figure.subplots()