diff --git a/src/Conclave.App/ViewModels/SessionVm.cs b/src/Conclave.App/ViewModels/SessionVm.cs
index 52cc001..05749da 100644
--- a/src/Conclave.App/ViewModels/SessionVm.cs
+++ b/src/Conclave.App/ViewModels/SessionVm.cs
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ public SessionStatus Status
             {
                 Notify(nameof(StatusLabel));
                 Notify(nameof(StatusPulses));
+                Notify(nameof(StatusColor));
                 Notify(nameof(IsBusy));
                 Notify(nameof(CanSend));
             }
diff --git a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/MainPane.axaml b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/MainPane.axaml
index 4bf1eea..dd48178 100644
--- a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/MainPane.axaml
+++ b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/MainPane.axaml
@@ -4,6 +4,16 @@
              xmlns:shell="clr-namespace:Conclave.App.Views.Shell"
              x:Class="Conclave.App.Views.Shell.MainPane"
              x:DataType="vm:ShellVm">
+    <UserControl.Styles>
+        <!-- Subtle hover on the inactive Terminal/Plan/Logs segmented tabs.
+             Active tabs already carry a panel background, so they're skipped. -->
+        <Style Selector="Border.seg-tab">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.seg-tab:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.PanelHi}" />
+        </Style>
+    </UserControl.Styles>
     <Grid Background="{Binding Tokens.Bg}" RowDefinitions="Auto,*,Auto">
 
         <!-- Header -->
@@ -53,8 +63,8 @@
                             <TextBlock Text="Terminal" FontSize="12" FontWeight="Medium"
                                        Foreground="{Binding Tokens.Text}" />
                         </Border>
-                        <Border Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
-                                Background="Transparent"
+                        <Border Classes="seg-tab" Cursor="Hand"
+                                Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
                                 BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="Transparent"
                                 PointerPressed="OnSegTerminal"
                                 IsVisible="{Binding !IsTerminalView}">
@@ -70,8 +80,8 @@
                             <TextBlock Text="Plan" FontSize="12" FontWeight="Medium"
                                        Foreground="{Binding Tokens.Text}" />
                         </Border>
-                        <Border Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
-                                Background="Transparent"
+                        <Border Classes="seg-tab" Cursor="Hand"
+                                Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
                                 BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="Transparent"
                                 PointerPressed="OnSegPlan"
                                 IsVisible="{Binding !IsPlanView}">
@@ -87,8 +97,8 @@
                             <TextBlock Text="Logs" FontSize="12" FontWeight="Medium"
                                        Foreground="{Binding Tokens.Text}" />
                         </Border>
-                        <Border Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
-                                Background="Transparent"
+                        <Border Classes="seg-tab" Cursor="Hand"
+                                Padding="11,4" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
                                 BorderThickness="1" BorderBrush="Transparent"
                                 PointerPressed="OnSegLogs"
                                 IsVisible="{Binding !IsLogsView}">
diff --git a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/Sidebar.axaml b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/Sidebar.axaml
index 53bc862..0cebf92 100644
--- a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/Sidebar.axaml
+++ b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/Sidebar.axaml
@@ -3,6 +3,50 @@
              xmlns:vm="clr-namespace:Conclave.App.ViewModels"
              x:Class="Conclave.App.Views.Shell.Sidebar"
              x:DataType="vm:ShellVm">
+    <UserControl.Styles>
+        <!-- Sidebar row hover/selected backgrounds. Bound to the row's DataContext
+             (FilterVm / SessionVm / ProjectVm), all of which expose Tokens. Setters
+             override the local Background, so the row Borders no longer bind it. -->
+        <Style Selector="Border.filter-row">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.filter-row:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel2}" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.filter-row.selected">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel}" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.filter-row.selected:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel}" />
+        </Style>
+
+        <Style Selector="Border.session-row">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.session-row:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel2}" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.session-row.active">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel}" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.session-row.active:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel}" />
+        </Style>
+
+        <Style Selector="Border.project-header">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.project-header:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel2}" />
+        </Style>
+
+        <Style Selector="Border.icon-btn">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.icon-btn:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.PanelHi}" />
+        </Style>
+    </UserControl.Styles>
     <Grid Background="{Binding Tokens.Bg}" RowDefinitions="Auto,*">
         <!-- Search pill (real input). The TextBox is borderless and lays inside the styled
              pill Border. ⌘P glyph hides while there's a query so the field doesn't compete. -->
@@ -36,8 +80,9 @@
                 <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Filters}">
                     <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                         <DataTemplate x:DataType="vm:FilterVm">
-                            <Border Padding="10,6" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
-                                    Background="{Binding BackgroundBrush}"
+                            <Border Classes="filter-row" Classes.selected="{Binding IsSelected}"
+                                    Padding="10,6" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
+                                    Cursor="Hand"
                                     PointerPressed="OnFilterPressed">
                                 <Grid ColumnDefinitions="14,*,Auto">
                                     <Panel Grid.Column="0" Width="8" Height="8"
@@ -70,18 +115,21 @@
                     <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                         <DataTemplate x:DataType="vm:ProjectVm">
                             <StackPanel Margin="0,6,0,0" IsVisible="{Binding IsVisibleInTree}">
-                                <Grid ColumnDefinitions="Auto,*,Auto,Auto" Margin="10,6"
-                                      Background="Transparent" Cursor="Hand"
-                                      PointerPressed="OnProjectHeaderPressed">
-                                    <Grid.ContextMenu>
+                                <Border Classes="project-header"
+                                        Padding="4,2" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
+                                        Cursor="Hand"
+                                        PointerPressed="OnProjectHeaderPressed">
+                                    <Border.ContextMenu>
                                         <ContextMenu>
                                             <MenuItem Header="Rename" Click="OnRenameProjectMenu" />
                                             <MenuItem Header="Delete" Click="OnDeleteProjectMenu" />
                                         </ContextMenu>
-                                    </Grid.ContextMenu>
-                                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding ChevronGlyph}" FontSize="9"
+                                    </Border.ContextMenu>
+                                    <Grid ColumnDefinitions="Auto,*,Auto,Auto">
+                                    <TextBlock Text="{Binding ChevronGlyph}" FontSize="13"
                                                Foreground="{Binding Tokens.TextDim}"
-                                               VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,8,0" />
+                                               VerticalAlignment="Center"
+                                               Margin="2,4,8,4" Width="14" TextAlignment="Center" />
                                     <TextBlock Grid.Column="1" Text="{Binding Name}"
                                                FontSize="12" FontWeight="SemiBold"
                                                Foreground="{Binding Tokens.Text}" VerticalAlignment="Center"
@@ -97,21 +145,25 @@
                                                FontSize="10.5" Foreground="{Binding Tokens.TextMute}"
                                                VerticalAlignment="Center"
                                                FontFamily="ui-monospace,SFMono-Regular,Menlo,monospace" />
-                                    <Border Grid.Column="3" Margin="6,0,0,0" Padding="2,0"
+                                    <Border Grid.Column="3" Classes="icon-btn"
+                                            Margin="6,0,0,0" Padding="6,2"
+                                            CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadXsCorner}"
                                             Cursor="Hand" ToolTip.Tip="New session in project"
                                             PointerPressed="OnNewSessionForProject">
                                         <TextBlock Text="+" FontSize="13"
                                                    Foreground="{Binding Tokens.TextDim}"
                                                    VerticalAlignment="Center" />
                                     </Border>
-                                </Grid>
+                                    </Grid>
+                                </Border>
                                 <ItemsControl ItemsSource="{Binding Sessions}"
                                               IsVisible="{Binding IsExpanded}">
                                     <ItemsControl.ItemTemplate>
                                         <DataTemplate x:DataType="vm:SessionVm">
-                                            <Border Margin="0,1" Padding="10,7,10,7"
+                                            <Border Classes="session-row" Classes.active="{Binding IsActive}"
+                                                    Margin="0,1" Padding="10,7,10,7"
                                                     CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
-                                                    Background="{Binding BackgroundBrush}"
+                                                    Cursor="Hand"
                                                     IsVisible="{Binding IsVisibleInTree}"
                                                     PointerPressed="OnSessionPressed">
                                                 <Border.ContextMenu>
diff --git a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/TitleBar.axaml b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/TitleBar.axaml
index bd1af9a..ec43bee 100644
--- a/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/TitleBar.axaml
+++ b/src/Conclave.App/Views/Shell/TitleBar.axaml
@@ -4,6 +4,22 @@
              x:Class="Conclave.App.Views.Shell.TitleBar"
              x:DataType="vm:ShellVm"
              Height="38">
+    <UserControl.Styles>
+        <!-- Subtle hover for the gear (transparent → panel) and primary action
+             (slight dim via opacity, since the bg is already the brand color). -->
+        <Style Selector="Border.icon-btn">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Transparent" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.icon-btn:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Background" Value="{Binding Tokens.Panel}" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.primary-btn">
+            <Setter Property="Opacity" Value="1" />
+        </Style>
+        <Style Selector="Border.primary-btn:pointerover">
+            <Setter Property="Opacity" Value="0.85" />
+        </Style>
+    </UserControl.Styles>
     <Border x:Name="DragHandle"
             BorderBrush="{Binding Tokens.Border}" BorderThickness="0,0,0,1"
             Background="{Binding Tokens.Bg}"
@@ -57,7 +73,8 @@
             </Border>
 
             <!-- Preferences (gear) -->
-            <Border Grid.Column="8" Width="26" Height="22"
+            <Border Grid.Column="8" Classes="icon-btn"
+                    Width="26" Height="22"
                     CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
                     BorderBrush="{Binding Tokens.Border}" BorderThickness="1"
                     VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,8,0"
@@ -69,7 +86,8 @@
             </Border>
 
             <!-- New session (primary) -->
-            <Border Grid.Column="9" Padding="9,3" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
+            <Border Grid.Column="9" Classes="primary-btn"
+                    Padding="9,3" CornerRadius="{Binding Tokens.RadSmCorner}"
                     Background="{Binding Tokens.Text}" VerticalAlignment="Center" Margin="0,0,10,0"
                     PointerPressed="OnNewSession" Cursor="Hand">
                 <TextBlock Text="New session" FontSize="11.5" FontWeight="Medium"