diff --git a/pages/css/components/blankslate.md b/pages/css/components/blankslate.md
index 07870534..54b0d383 100644
--- a/pages/css/components/blankslate.md
+++ b/pages/css/components/blankslate.md
@@ -15,8 +15,11 @@ Wrap some content in the outer `.blankslate` wrapper to give it the blankslate a
 
 ```html
 <div class="blankslate">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
 
@@ -44,8 +47,11 @@ Narrows the blankslate container to not occupy the entire available width.
 
 ```html
 <div class="blankslate blankslate-narrow">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
 
@@ -55,8 +61,11 @@ Removes the `border-radius` on the top corners.
 
 ```html
 <div class="blankslate blankslate-capped">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
 
@@ -66,8 +75,11 @@ Significantly increases the vertical padding.
 
 ```html
 <div class="blankslate blankslate-spacious">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
 
@@ -77,18 +89,24 @@ Increases the size of the text in the blankslate
 
 ```html
 <div class="blankslate blankslate-large">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
 
-##### No background
+##### No border
 
-Removes the `background-color` and `border`.
+To remove the border, use the [border utliity](/css/utilities/borders) `.border-0`.
 
 ```html
-<div class="blankslate blankslate-clean-background">
-  <h3>This is a blank slate</h3>
-  <p>Use it to provide information when no dynamic content exists.</p>
+<div class="blankslate border-0">
+  <img src="https://ghicons.github.com/assets/images/light/Pull%20Request.png" alt="Pull requests" class="mb-3">
+  <h3 class="mb-1">You don’t seem to have any pull requests.</h3>
+  <p>Pull requests help you discuss potential changes before your changes are merged into the base branch.</p>
+  <button class="btn btn-primary my-3" type="button">New pull request</button>
+  <p><button class="btn-link" type="button">Learn more</button></p>
 </div>
 ```
diff --git a/src/blankslate/blankslate.scss b/src/blankslate/blankslate.scss
index 6e20b27d..ebfd6942 100644
--- a/src/blankslate/blankslate.scss
+++ b/src/blankslate/blankslate.scss
@@ -3,10 +3,8 @@
   position: relative;
   padding: $spacer-5;
   text-align: center;
-  background-color: $gray-000;
   border: 1px solid $gray-200;
   border-radius: 3px;
-  box-shadow: inset 0 0 10px rgba($black, 0.05);
 
   code {
     padding: 2px 5px 3px;
@@ -15,6 +13,11 @@
     border: 1px solid $border-gray-light;
     border-radius: 3px;
   }
+
+  img {
+    width: 56px;
+    height: 56px;
+  }
 }
 
 .blankslate-icon {
@@ -38,10 +41,17 @@
 }
 
 // was .large-format
+// QUESTION: should we deprecate this?
 .blankslate-large {
+  img {
+    width: 80px;
+    height: 80px;
+  }
+
   h3 {
     margin: $spacer-3 0;
-    font-size: $h3-size;
+    //font-size: $h3-size; // This doesn't actually make the text larger. Should this be $h2-size?
+    font-size: $h2-size;
   }
 
   p {
@@ -50,8 +60,7 @@
 }
 
 // was .clean-background
+// TO DO: deprecate this and use utility instead
 .blankslate-clean-background {
-  background: none;
   border: 0;
-  box-shadow: none;
 }