diff --git a/app/analysis/page.tsx b/app/analysis/page.tsx
index 813b1ab..d912d7f 100644
--- a/app/analysis/page.tsx
+++ b/app/analysis/page.tsx
@@ -456,7 +456,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
       </Panel>
 
       {error ? (
-        <Panel>
+        <Panel variant="surface">
           <p className="text-sm text-[#ffb5b5]">{error}</p>
         </Panel>
       ) : null}
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-6 xl:grid-cols-2">
-        <Panel title="Price History" subtitle="Weekly close over the last year.">
+        <Panel title="Price History" subtitle="Weekly close over the last year." variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading price history...</p>
           ) : priceSeries.length === 0 ? (
@@ -645,6 +645,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
         <Panel
           title="Financial Table"
           subtitle={`Quarter-end (10-Q) and fiscal-year-end (10-K) snapshots for revenue, net income, assets, and margin. Values shown in ${selectedFinancialScaleLabel}.`}
+          variant="surface"
           actions={(
             <div className="flex flex-col items-end gap-2">
               <div className="flex flex-wrap justify-end gap-2">
@@ -712,7 +713,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
                 ))}
               </div>
 
-              <div className="hidden overflow-x-auto lg:block">
+              <div className="data-table-wrap hidden lg:block">
                 <table className="data-table min-w-[820px]">
                   <thead>
                     <tr>
@@ -750,6 +751,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
       <Panel
         title="Filings"
         subtitle={`${periodEndFilings.length} quarter-end and fiscal-year-end SEC records loaded. Values shown in ${selectedFinancialScaleLabel}.`}
+        variant="surface"
       >
         {loading ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading filings...</p>
@@ -789,7 +791,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
               ))}
             </div>
 
-            <div className="hidden overflow-x-auto lg:block">
+            <div className="data-table-wrap hidden lg:block">
               <table className="data-table min-w-[860px]">
                 <thead>
                   <tr>
@@ -829,7 +831,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
         )}
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="AI Reports" subtitle="Generated filing analyses for this company.">
+      <Panel title="AI Reports" subtitle="Generated filing analyses for this company." variant="surface">
         {loading ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading AI reports...</p>
         ) : !analysis || analysis.recentAiReports.length === 0 ? (
@@ -901,7 +903,7 @@ function AnalysisPageContent() {
           </div>
         </Panel>
 
-        <Panel title="Recent Research Feed" subtitle={`Previewing the latest ${Math.min(journalEntries.length, 4)} research entries for ${activeTicker}.`}>
+        <Panel title="Recent Research Feed" subtitle={`Previewing the latest ${Math.min(journalEntries.length, 4)} research entries for ${activeTicker}.`} variant="surface">
           {journalLoading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading research entries...</p>
           ) : journalEntries.length === 0 ? (
diff --git a/app/filings/page.tsx b/app/filings/page.tsx
index 3a7432c..782e155 100644
--- a/app/filings/page.tsx
+++ b/app/filings/page.tsx
@@ -354,6 +354,7 @@ function FilingsPageContent() {
       <Panel
         title="Filing Ledger"
         subtitle={`${filings.length} records loaded${searchTicker ? ` for ${searchTicker}` : ''}. Values shown in ${selectedFinancialScaleLabel}.`}
+        variant="surface"
         actions={(
           <div className="flex w-full flex-wrap justify-start gap-2 sm:justify-end">
             {FINANCIAL_VALUE_SCALE_OPTIONS.map((option) => (
@@ -454,7 +455,7 @@ function FilingsPageContent() {
               })}
             </div>
 
-            <div className="hidden overflow-x-auto lg:block">
+            <div className="data-table-wrap hidden lg:block">
               <table className="data-table w-full">
                 <thead>
                   <tr>
diff --git a/app/financials/page.tsx b/app/financials/page.tsx
index 48d27cf..4426d6e 100644
--- a/app/financials/page.tsx
+++ b/app/financials/page.tsx
@@ -654,7 +654,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
       </Panel>
 
       {error ? (
-        <Panel>
+        <Panel variant="surface">
           <p className="text-sm text-[#ffb5b5]">{error}</p>
         </Panel>
       ) : null}
@@ -680,7 +680,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
         </div>
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Trend Chart" subtitle="Default trend series for the selected surface.">
+      <Panel title="Trend Chart" subtitle="Default trend series for the selected surface." variant="surface">
         {loading ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading trend chart...</p>
         ) : chartData.length === 0 || trendSeries.length === 0 ? (
@@ -725,7 +725,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
         )}
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Surface Matrix" subtitle="Standardized statements, ratios, and KPIs render in one shared matrix.">
+      <Panel title="Surface Matrix" subtitle="Standardized statements, ratios, and KPIs render in one shared matrix." variant="surface">
         {loading ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading financial matrix...</p>
         ) : surfaceKind === 'adjusted' || surfaceKind === 'custom_metrics' ? (
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
         ) : periods.length === 0 || filteredRows.length === 0 ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">No rows available for the selected filters yet.</p>
         ) : (
-          <div className="overflow-x-auto">
+          <div className="data-table-wrap">
             <table className="data-table min-w-[980px]">
               <thead>
                 <tr>
@@ -804,7 +804,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
         )}
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Row Details" subtitle="Inspect provenance, formulas, and dimensional evidence for the selected row.">
+      <Panel title="Row Details" subtitle="Inspect provenance, formulas, and dimensional evidence for the selected row." variant="surface">
         {!selectedRow ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Select a row to inspect details.</p>
         ) : (
@@ -854,7 +854,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
             ) : dimensionRows.length === 0 ? (
               <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">No dimensional facts were returned for the selected row.</p>
             ) : (
-              <div className="overflow-x-auto">
+              <div className="data-table-wrap">
                 <table className="data-table min-w-[760px]">
                   <thead>
                     <tr>
@@ -882,7 +882,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
       </Panel>
 
       {(surfaceKind === 'income_statement' || surfaceKind === 'balance_sheet' || surfaceKind === 'cash_flow_statement') && financials ? (
-        <Panel title="Metric Validation" subtitle="Validation remains limited to statement-derived taxonomy metrics in v1.">
+        <Panel title="Metric Validation" subtitle="Validation remains limited to statement-derived taxonomy metrics in v1." variant="surface">
           <div className="mb-3 flex items-center gap-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">
             <AlertTriangle className="size-4" />
             <span>Overall status: {financials.metrics.validation?.status ?? 'not_run'}</span>
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ function FinancialsPageContent() {
           {(financials.metrics.validation?.checks.length ?? 0) === 0 ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">No validation checks available yet.</p>
           ) : (
-            <div className="overflow-x-auto">
+            <div className="data-table-wrap">
               <table className="data-table min-w-[760px]">
                 <thead>
                   <tr>
diff --git a/app/globals.css b/app/globals.css
index a67a103..969b44a 100644
--- a/app/globals.css
+++ b/app/globals.css
@@ -3,13 +3,13 @@
 :root {
   --font-display: "Avenir Next", "Segoe UI", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, sans-serif;
   --font-mono: "Menlo", "SFMono-Regular", "Consolas", "Liberation Mono", monospace;
-  --bg-0: #05080d;
-  --bg-1: #08121a;
-  --bg-2: #0b1f28;
-  --panel: rgba(6, 17, 24, 0.8);
-  --panel-soft: rgba(7, 22, 31, 0.62);
-  --panel-bright: rgba(10, 33, 45, 0.9);
-  --line-weak: rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.22);
+  --bg-0: #071018;
+  --bg-1: #0a1720;
+  --bg-2: #0e2028;
+  --panel: rgba(8, 20, 28, 0.72);
+  --panel-soft: rgba(9, 22, 30, 0.46);
+  --panel-bright: rgba(12, 30, 38, 0.84);
+  --line-weak: rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.18);
   --line-strong: rgba(123, 255, 217, 0.75);
   --accent: #68ffd5;
   --accent-strong: #8cffeb;
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ body {
   font-family: var(--font-display), sans-serif;
   color: var(--terminal-bright);
   background:
-    radial-gradient(circle at 18% -10%, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.25), transparent 35%),
-    radial-gradient(circle at 84% 0%, rgba(104, 255, 213, 0.2), transparent 30%),
-    linear-gradient(140deg, var(--bg-0), var(--bg-1) 50%, var(--bg-2));
+    radial-gradient(circle at 14% -12%, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.16), transparent 34%),
+    radial-gradient(circle at 88% 0%, rgba(104, 255, 213, 0.11), transparent 28%),
+    linear-gradient(160deg, var(--bg-0), var(--bg-1) 48%, var(--bg-2));
 }
 
 .app-surface,
@@ -72,10 +72,10 @@ body {
   position: absolute;
   inset: 0;
   background-image:
-    linear-gradient(rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.08) 1px, transparent 1px),
-    linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.07) 1px, transparent 1px);
-  background-size: 34px 34px;
-  mask-image: radial-gradient(ellipse at center, black 20%, transparent 75%);
+    linear-gradient(rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.04) 1px, transparent 1px),
+    linear-gradient(90deg, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.035) 1px, transparent 1px);
+  background-size: 38px 38px;
+  mask-image: radial-gradient(ellipse at center, black 28%, transparent 78%);
   pointer-events: none;
 }
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ body {
   position: absolute;
   inset: 0;
   pointer-events: none;
-  opacity: 0.3;
+  opacity: 0.14;
   background-image: radial-gradient(rgba(160, 255, 227, 0.15) 0.7px, transparent 0.7px);
   background-size: 4px 4px;
 }
@@ -110,12 +110,26 @@ textarea {
   border-collapse: collapse;
 }
 
+.data-surface {
+  border: 1px solid var(--line-weak);
+  border-radius: 1rem;
+  background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(10, 25, 33, 0.9), rgba(8, 19, 26, 0.72));
+}
+
+.data-table-wrap {
+  overflow-x: auto;
+  border: 1px solid var(--line-weak);
+  border-radius: 1rem;
+  background: linear-gradient(180deg, rgba(9, 23, 30, 0.9), rgba(7, 18, 24, 0.74));
+}
+
 .data-table th,
 .data-table td {
   border-bottom: 1px solid var(--line-weak);
-  padding: 0.75rem 0.65rem;
+  padding: 0.8rem 0.8rem;
   text-align: left;
   font-size: 0.875rem;
+  vertical-align: top;
 }
 
 .data-table th {
@@ -127,7 +141,7 @@ textarea {
 }
 
 .data-table tbody tr:hover {
-  background-color: rgba(17, 47, 61, 0.45);
+  background-color: rgba(17, 47, 61, 0.28);
 }
 
 @media (prefers-reduced-motion: no-preference) {
@@ -157,8 +171,8 @@ textarea {
 @media (max-width: 640px) {
   body {
     background:
-      radial-gradient(circle at 24% -4%, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.2), transparent 36%),
-      radial-gradient(circle at 82% 2%, rgba(104, 255, 213, 0.16), transparent 30%),
+      radial-gradient(circle at 24% -4%, rgba(126, 217, 255, 0.14), transparent 36%),
+      radial-gradient(circle at 82% 2%, rgba(104, 255, 213, 0.11), transparent 30%),
       linear-gradient(155deg, var(--bg-0), var(--bg-1) 54%, var(--bg-2));
   }
 
diff --git a/app/graphing/page.tsx b/app/graphing/page.tsx
index 5819bb6..ef567d1 100644
--- a/app/graphing/page.tsx
+++ b/app/graphing/page.tsx
@@ -454,7 +454,7 @@ function GraphingPageContent() {
         </form>
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Chart Controls" subtitle="Surface, metric, cadence, chart style, and scale stay in the URL for deep-linking.">
+      <Panel title="Chart Controls" subtitle="Surface, metric, cadence, chart style, and scale stay in the URL for deep-linking." variant="surface">
         <div className="grid gap-5 lg:grid-cols-[1.2fr_1fr]">
           <div className="space-y-5">
             <ControlSection
@@ -515,7 +515,7 @@ function GraphingPageContent() {
         </div>
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Comparison Chart" subtitle="One metric, multiple companies, aligned by actual reported dates.">
+      <Panel title="Comparison Chart" subtitle="One metric, multiple companies, aligned by actual reported dates." variant="surface">
         {loading ? (
           <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading comparison chart...</p>
         ) : !selectedMetric || !comparison.hasAnyData ? (
@@ -607,8 +607,8 @@ function GraphingPageContent() {
         )}
       </Panel>
 
-      <Panel title="Latest Values" subtitle="Most recent reported point per company, plus the prior point and one-step change.">
-        <div className="overflow-x-auto">
+      <Panel title="Latest Values" subtitle="Most recent reported point per company, plus the prior point and one-step change." variant="surface">
+        <div className="data-table-wrap">
           <table className="data-table min-w-[920px]">
             <thead>
               <tr>
diff --git a/app/page.tsx b/app/page.tsx
index ada3304..ab87875 100644
--- a/app/page.tsx
+++ b/app/page.tsx
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
       actions={headerActions}
     >
       {error ? (
-        <Panel>
+        <Panel variant="surface">
           <p className="text-sm text-[#ffb5b5]">{error}</p>
         </Panel>
       ) : null}
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-6 xl:grid-cols-3">
-        <Panel title="Recent Tasks" subtitle="Durable jobs from queue processor" className="xl:col-span-1">
+        <Panel title="Recent Tasks" subtitle="Durable jobs from queue processor" className="xl:col-span-1" variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading tasks...</p>
           ) : (
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
           )}
         </Panel>
 
-        <Panel title="AI Brief" subtitle="Latest portfolio insight from AI SDK (Zhipu)" className="xl:col-span-2">
+        <Panel title="AI Brief" subtitle="Latest portfolio insight from AI SDK (Zhipu)" className="xl:col-span-2" variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading intelligence output...</p>
           ) : state.latestInsight ? (
@@ -195,21 +195,21 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
       </div>
 
       <Panel title="Quick Links" subtitle="Feature modules">
-        <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-3 md:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-5">
-          <Link className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]" href="/analysis">
+        <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-4 md:grid-cols-2 xl:grid-cols-3">
+          <Link className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]" href="/analysis">
             <p className="panel-heading text-xs uppercase text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Analysis</p>
             <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Inspect one company across prices, filings, financials, and AI reports.</p>
           </Link>
-          <Link className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]" href="/financials">
+          <Link className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]" href="/financials">
             <p className="panel-heading text-xs uppercase text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Financials</p>
             <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Focus on multi-period filing metrics, margins, leverage, and balance sheet composition.</p>
           </Link>
-          <Link className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]" href={buildGraphingHref()}>
+          <Link className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]" href={buildGraphingHref()}>
             <p className="panel-heading text-xs uppercase text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Graphing</p>
             <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Compare one normalized metric across multiple companies with shareable chart state.</p>
           </Link>
           <Link
-            className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]"
+            className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]"
             href="/filings"
             onMouseEnter={() => {
               void queryClient.prefetchQuery(filingsQueryOptions({ limit: 120 }));
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
             <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Sync SEC filings and trigger AI memo analysis.</p>
           </Link>
           <Link
-            className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]"
+            className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]"
             href="/portfolio"
             onMouseEnter={() => prefetchPortfolioSurfaces()}
             onFocus={() => prefetchPortfolioSurfaces()}
@@ -231,7 +231,7 @@ export default function CommandCenterPage() {
             <p className="mt-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Manage the active private portfolio and mark positions to market.</p>
           </Link>
           <Link
-            className="rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]"
+            className="border-l-2 border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-1 pl-4 pr-2 transition hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)]"
             href="/watchlist"
             onMouseEnter={() => prefetchPortfolioSurfaces()}
             onFocus={() => prefetchPortfolioSurfaces()}
diff --git a/app/portfolio/page.tsx b/app/portfolio/page.tsx
index bb7f375..36a8f3a 100644
--- a/app/portfolio/page.tsx
+++ b/app/portfolio/page.tsx
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
       )}
     >
       {error ? (
-        <Panel>
+        <Panel variant="surface">
           <p className="text-sm text-[#ffb5b5]">{error}</p>
         </Panel>
       ) : null}
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-6 xl:grid-cols-2">
-        <Panel title="Allocation">
+        <Panel title="Allocation" variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading chart...</p>
           ) : allocationData.length > 0 ? (
@@ -251,7 +251,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
           )}
         </Panel>
 
-        <Panel title="Performance %">
+        <Panel title="Performance %" variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading chart...</p>
           ) : performanceData.length > 0 ? (
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
       </div>
 
       <div className="grid grid-cols-1 gap-6 xl:grid-cols-[1.5fr_1fr]">
-        <Panel title="Holdings Table" subtitle="Live mark-to-market values from latest refresh.">
+        <Panel title="Holdings Table" subtitle="Live mark-to-market values from latest refresh." variant="surface">
           {loading ? (
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Loading holdings...</p>
           ) : holdings.length === 0 ? (
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
                 ))}
               </div>
 
-              <div className="hidden max-w-full overflow-x-auto lg:block">
+              <div className="data-table-wrap hidden max-w-full lg:block">
                 <table className="data-table min-w-[1020px]">
                   <thead>
                     <tr>
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ export default function PortfolioPage() {
           )}
         </Panel>
 
-        <Panel title={editingHoldingId === null ? 'Add Holding' : 'Edit Holding'}>
+        <Panel title={editingHoldingId === null ? 'Add Holding' : 'Edit Holding'} variant="surface">
           <form onSubmit={submitHolding} className="space-y-3">
             <div>
               <label className="mb-1 block text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Ticker</label>
diff --git a/app/search/page.tsx b/app/search/page.tsx
index 0efc8fe..2b7d9b2 100644
--- a/app/search/page.tsx
+++ b/app/search/page.tsx
@@ -196,7 +196,7 @@ function SearchPageContent() {
           </form>
         </Panel>
 
-        <Panel title="Cited Answer" subtitle="Single-turn answer grounded only in retrieved evidence.">
+        <Panel title="Cited Answer" subtitle="Single-turn answer grounded only in retrieved evidence." variant="surface">
           {answer ? (
             <div className="space-y-3">
               <p className="whitespace-pre-wrap text-sm leading-7 text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{answer.answer}</p>
@@ -226,6 +226,7 @@ function SearchPageContent() {
       <Panel
         title="Semantic Search"
         subtitle={query ? `${results.length} results${ticker ? ` for ${ticker}` : ''}.` : 'Search results will appear here.'}
+        variant="surface"
       >
         {error ? <p className="text-sm text-[#ffb5b5]">{error}</p> : null}
         {loading ? (
diff --git a/app/watchlist/page.tsx b/app/watchlist/page.tsx
index 5cc3d89..d19f177 100644
--- a/app/watchlist/page.tsx
+++ b/app/watchlist/page.tsx
@@ -274,6 +274,7 @@ export default function WatchlistPage() {
         <Panel
           title="Coverage Board"
           subtitle={`${items.length} tracked companies across backlog, active work, and archive.`}
+          variant="surface"
           actions={(
             <div className="flex w-full flex-col gap-2 sm:w-auto sm:flex-row">
               <Input
@@ -452,7 +453,7 @@ export default function WatchlistPage() {
                 ))}
               </div>
 
-              <div className="hidden overflow-x-auto lg:block">
+              <div className="data-table-wrap hidden lg:block">
                 <table className="data-table min-w-[1120px]">
                   <thead>
                     <tr>
@@ -621,6 +622,7 @@ export default function WatchlistPage() {
         <Panel
           title={editingItemId === null ? 'Add Coverage' : 'Edit Coverage'}
           subtitle={editingItemId === null ? 'Create a new company coverage record.' : 'Update metadata, priority, and workflow status.'}
+          variant="surface"
         >
           <form onSubmit={saveCoverage} className="space-y-3">
             <div>
diff --git a/components/dashboard/metric-card.tsx b/components/dashboard/metric-card.tsx
index df9c280..984d534 100644
--- a/components/dashboard/metric-card.tsx
+++ b/components/dashboard/metric-card.tsx
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ type MetricCardProps = {
 
 export function MetricCard({ label, value, delta, positive = true, className }: MetricCardProps) {
   return (
-    <div className={cn('rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-4', className)}>
-      <p className="text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{label}</p>
-      <p className="mt-2 text-2xl font-semibold text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{value}</p>
+    <div className={cn('min-w-0 border-t border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pt-3', className)}>
+      <p className="panel-heading text-[11px] uppercase tracking-[0.18em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{label}</p>
+      <p className="mt-2 text-3xl font-semibold text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{value}</p>
       {delta ? (
         <p className={cn('mt-2 text-xs', positive ? 'text-[#96f5bf]' : 'text-[#ff9898]')}>
           {delta}
diff --git a/components/dashboard/task-feed.tsx b/components/dashboard/task-feed.tsx
index 281222c..0a8c974 100644
--- a/components/dashboard/task-feed.tsx
+++ b/components/dashboard/task-feed.tsx
@@ -20,9 +20,9 @@ export function TaskFeed({ tasks }: TaskFeedProps) {
   }
 
   return (
-    <ul className="space-y-2">
+    <ul>
       {tasks.slice(0, 8).map((task) => (
-        <li key={task.id} className="flex items-center justify-between rounded-lg border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] px-3 py-2">
+        <li key={task.id} className="flex items-center justify-between gap-3 border-b border-[color:var(--line-weak)] py-3 last:border-b-0 last:pb-0 first:pt-0">
           <div>
             <p className="text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{taskLabels[task.task_type]}</p>
             <p className="text-xs text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">
diff --git a/components/financials/control-bar.tsx b/components/financials/control-bar.tsx
index 17b5fdd..b5cbbd0 100644
--- a/components/financials/control-bar.tsx
+++ b/components/financials/control-bar.tsx
@@ -41,12 +41,12 @@ export function FinancialControlBar({
   className
 }: FinancialControlBarProps) {
   return (
-    <section className={cn('rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] px-4 py-3', className)}>
+    <section className={cn('border-t border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pt-4', className)}>
       <div className="flex flex-col gap-3 sm:flex-row sm:items-start sm:justify-between">
         <div className="min-w-0">
-          <h3 className="text-sm font-semibold text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{title}</h3>
+          <h3 className="text-base font-semibold text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{title}</h3>
           {subtitle ? (
-            <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{subtitle}</p>
+            <p className="mt-1 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{subtitle}</p>
           ) : null}
         </div>
 
@@ -68,29 +68,29 @@ export function FinancialControlBar({
         ) : null}
       </div>
 
-      <div className="mt-3 grid grid-cols-1 gap-2">
-          {sections.map((section) => (
-            <div
-              key={section.id}
-              className="rounded-lg border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] px-3 py-2"
-            >
-              <span className="mb-2 block text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{section.label}</span>
-              <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-1.5">
-                {section.options.map((option) => (
-                  <Button
-                    key={`${section.id}-${option.value}`}
-                    type="button"
-                    variant={option.value === section.value ? 'primary' : 'ghost'}
-                    disabled={option.disabled}
-                    className="px-2 py-1 text-xs sm:min-h-9"
-                    onClick={() => section.onChange(option.value)}
-                  >
-                    {option.label}
-                  </Button>
-                ))}
-              </div>
+      <div className="mt-4 grid grid-cols-1 gap-3">
+        {sections.map((section) => (
+          <div
+            key={section.id}
+            className="data-surface px-3 py-3"
+          >
+            <span className="mb-2 block text-[10px] uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">{section.label}</span>
+            <div className="flex flex-wrap items-center gap-1.5">
+              {section.options.map((option) => (
+                <Button
+                  key={`${section.id}-${option.value}`}
+                  type="button"
+                  variant={option.value === section.value ? 'primary' : 'ghost'}
+                  disabled={option.disabled}
+                  className="px-2 py-1 text-xs sm:min-h-9"
+                  onClick={() => section.onChange(option.value)}
+                >
+                  {option.label}
+                </Button>
+              ))}
             </div>
-          ))}
+          </div>
+        ))}
       </div>
     </section>
   );
diff --git a/components/shell/app-shell.tsx b/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
index 6be20bc..11cb76f 100644
--- a/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
+++ b/components/shell/app-shell.tsx
@@ -447,8 +447,8 @@ export function AppShell({ title, subtitle, actions, activeTicker, breadcrumbs,
       <div className="ambient-grid" aria-hidden="true" />
       <div className="noise-layer" aria-hidden="true" />
 
-      <div className="relative z-10 mx-auto flex min-h-screen w-full max-w-[1300px] gap-4 px-3 pb-10 pt-4 sm:px-4 sm:pb-12 sm:pt-6 md:px-8 lg:gap-6">
-        <aside className="hidden w-72 shrink-0 flex-col gap-6 rounded-2xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] p-5 shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(0,255,180,0.06),0_20px_60px_rgba(1,4,10,0.55)] lg:flex">
+      <div className="relative z-10 mx-auto flex min-h-screen w-full max-w-[1440px] gap-6 px-4 pb-10 pt-4 sm:px-5 sm:pb-12 sm:pt-6 md:px-8 lg:gap-8">
+        <aside className="hidden w-72 shrink-0 flex-col gap-6 border-r border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pr-6 lg:flex">
           <div>
             <p className="terminal-caption text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.25em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Fiscal Clone</p>
             <h1 className="mt-2 text-2xl font-semibold text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">Neon Desk</h1>
@@ -472,10 +472,10 @@ export function AppShell({ title, subtitle, actions, activeTicker, breadcrumbs,
                       onMouseEnter={() => prefetchForHref(item.href)}
                       onFocus={() => prefetchForHref(item.href)}
                       className={cn(
-                        'flex items-center gap-3 rounded-xl border px-3 py-2 text-sm transition-all duration-200 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-[color:var(--line-strong)] focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-transparent',
+                        'flex items-center gap-3 rounded-xl px-3 py-2 text-sm transition-all duration-200 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-[color:var(--line-strong)] focus-visible:ring-offset-2 focus-visible:ring-offset-transparent',
                         item.active
-                          ? 'border-[color:var(--line-strong)] bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)] text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] shadow-[0_0_18px_rgba(0,255,180,0.16)]'
-                          : 'border-transparent text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)] hover:border-[color:var(--line-weak)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] hover:text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]'
+                          ? 'bg-[color:rgba(10,25,33,0.75)] text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] shadow-[inset_2px_0_0_var(--accent)]'
+                          : 'text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)] hover:bg-[color:rgba(10,25,33,0.42)] hover:text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]'
                       )}
                     >
                       <Icon className="size-4" />
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ export function AppShell({ title, subtitle, actions, activeTicker, breadcrumbs,
             ))}
           </nav>
 
-          <div className="mt-auto rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] p-3">
+          <div className="mt-auto rounded-[1rem] border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:rgba(8,19,26,0.52)] p-3">
             <p className="text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.2em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Runtime</p>
             <p className="mt-1 truncate text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)]">{displayName}</p>
             {role ? <p className="mt-1 text-xs uppercase tracking-[0.16em] text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)]">Role: {role}</p> : null}
@@ -502,7 +502,7 @@ export function AppShell({ title, subtitle, actions, activeTicker, breadcrumbs,
         </aside>
 
         <div className="min-w-0 flex-1 pb-24 lg:pb-0">
-          <header className="relative mb-4 rounded-2xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] px-4 py-4 pr-16 shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(0,255,180,0.05),0_14px_40px_rgba(1,4,10,0.5)] sm:px-6 sm:py-5 sm:pr-20">
+          <header className="relative mb-4 border-b border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pb-4 pr-16 sm:pb-5 sm:pr-20">
             <div className="absolute right-4 top-4 z-10 sm:right-5 sm:top-5">
               <TaskNotificationsTrigger
                 unreadCount={notifications.unreadCount}
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ export function AppShell({ title, subtitle, actions, activeTicker, breadcrumbs,
 
           <nav
             aria-label="Breadcrumb"
-            className="mb-6 overflow-x-auto rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] px-3 py-2"
+            className="mb-6 overflow-x-auto border-b border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pb-3"
           >
             <ol className="flex min-w-max items-center gap-2 text-xs text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)] sm:min-w-0 sm:flex-wrap">
               {breadcrumbItems.map((item, index) => {
diff --git a/components/ui/button.tsx b/components/ui/button.tsx
index 0b1fecd..ecd888d 100644
--- a/components/ui/button.tsx
+++ b/components/ui/button.tsx
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ type ButtonProps = React.ButtonHTMLAttributes<HTMLButtonElement> & {
 
 const variantMap: Record<ButtonVariant, string> = {
   primary: 'border-[color:var(--line-strong)] bg-[color:var(--accent)] text-[#001515] hover:bg-[color:var(--accent-strong)]',
-  secondary: 'border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)] text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel)]',
-  ghost: 'border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-transparent text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)]',
+  secondary: 'border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:rgba(10,25,33,0.72)] text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:var(--panel-bright)]',
+  ghost: 'border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-transparent text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] hover:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] hover:bg-[color:rgba(10,25,33,0.4)]',
   danger: 'border-[color:var(--danger)] bg-[color:var(--danger-soft)] text-[#ffc9c9] hover:bg-[color:var(--danger)] hover:text-[#1e0d0d]'
 };
 
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ export function Button({ className, variant = 'primary', ...props }: ButtonProps
   return (
     <button
       className={cn(
-        'inline-flex min-h-11 items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-lg border px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium transition duration-200 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
+        'inline-flex min-h-11 items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-xl border px-3 py-2 text-sm font-medium transition duration-200 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50',
         variantMap[variant],
         className
       )}
diff --git a/components/ui/input.tsx b/components/ui/input.tsx
index 7b34c77..21cc8d0 100644
--- a/components/ui/input.tsx
+++ b/components/ui/input.tsx
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ export function Input({ className, ...props }: InputProps) {
   return (
     <input
       className={cn(
-        'min-h-11 w-full rounded-lg border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel-soft)] px-3 py-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] outline-none transition placeholder:text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)] focus:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] focus:shadow-[0_0_0_3px_rgba(0,255,180,0.14)]',
+        'min-h-11 w-full rounded-xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:rgba(8,19,26,0.72)] px-3 py-2 text-sm text-[color:var(--terminal-bright)] outline-none transition placeholder:text-[color:var(--terminal-muted)] focus:border-[color:var(--line-strong)] focus:shadow-[0_0_0_3px_rgba(0,255,180,0.12)]',
         className
       )}
       {...props}
diff --git a/components/ui/panel.tsx b/components/ui/panel.tsx
index 20cdae9..d02f74c 100644
--- a/components/ui/panel.tsx
+++ b/components/ui/panel.tsx
@@ -6,13 +6,16 @@ type PanelProps = {
   actions?: React.ReactNode;
   children: React.ReactNode;
   className?: string;
+  variant?: 'flat' | 'surface';
 };
 
-export function Panel({ title, subtitle, actions, children, className }: PanelProps) {
+export function Panel({ title, subtitle, actions, children, className, variant = 'flat' }: PanelProps) {
   return (
     <section
       className={cn(
-        'min-w-0 rounded-2xl border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] p-4 shadow-[0_0_0_1px_rgba(0,255,180,0.03),0_12px_30px_rgba(1,4,10,0.45)] sm:p-5',
+        variant === 'surface'
+          ? 'min-w-0 rounded-[1.25rem] border border-[color:var(--line-weak)] bg-[color:var(--panel)] p-4 sm:p-5'
+          : 'min-w-0 border-t border-[color:var(--line-weak)] pt-4',
         className
       )}
     >