diff --git a/internal/tui/components/card.go b/internal/tui/components/card.go
index d7fa125..d6dfb52 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/card.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/card.go
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 package components
 
 import (
+	"strings"
+
 	"github.com/theirongolddev/cburn/internal/tui/theme"
 
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
@@ -25,7 +27,7 @@ func LayoutRow(totalWidth, n int) []int {
 	return widths
 }
 
-// MetricCard renders a small metric card with label, value, and delta.
+// MetricCard renders a visually striking metric card with icon, colored value, and delta.
 // outerWidth is the total rendered width including border.
 func MetricCard(label, value, delta string, outerWidth int) string {
 	t := theme.Active
@@ -35,23 +37,56 @@ func MetricCard(label, value, delta string, outerWidth int) string {
 		contentWidth = 10
 	}
 
+	// Determine accent color based on label for variety
+	var valueColor lipgloss.Color
+	var icon string
+	switch {
+	case strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(label), "token"):
+		valueColor = t.Cyan
+		icon = "◈"
+	case strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(label), "session"):
+		valueColor = t.Magenta
+		icon = "◉"
+	case strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(label), "cost"):
+		valueColor = t.Green
+		icon = "◆"
+	case strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(label), "cache"):
+		valueColor = t.Blue
+		icon = "◇"
+	default:
+		valueColor = t.Accent
+		icon = "●"
+	}
+
 	cardStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Border(lipgloss.RoundedBorder()).
 		BorderForeground(t.Border).
+		BorderBackground(t.Background).
+		Background(t.Surface).
 		Width(contentWidth).
 		Padding(0, 1)
 
+	iconStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(valueColor).
+		Background(t.Surface)
+
 	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextMuted)
+		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+		Background(t.Surface)
 
 	valueStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextPrimary).
+		Foreground(valueColor).
+		Background(t.Surface).
 		Bold(true)
 
 	deltaStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextDim)
+		Foreground(t.TextDim).
+		Background(t.Surface)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Background(t.Surface)
 
-	content := labelStyle.Render(label) + "\n" +
+	// Build content with icon
+	content := iconStyle.Render(icon) + spaceStyle.Render(" ") + labelStyle.Render(label) + "\n" +
 		valueStyle.Render(value)
 	if delta != "" {
 		content += "\n" + deltaStyle.Render(delta)
@@ -74,7 +109,8 @@ func MetricCardRow(cards []struct{ Label, Value, Delta string }, totalWidth int)
 		rendered = append(rendered, MetricCard(c.Label, c.Value, c.Delta, widths[i]))
 	}
 
-	return lipgloss.JoinHorizontal(lipgloss.Top, rendered...)
+	// Use CardRow instead of JoinHorizontal to ensure proper background fill
+	return CardRow(rendered)
 }
 
 // ContentCard renders a bordered content card with an optional title.
@@ -87,14 +123,59 @@ func ContentCard(title, body string, outerWidth int) string {
 		contentWidth = 10
 	}
 
+	// Use accent border for titled cards, subtle for untitled
+	borderColor := t.Border
+	if title != "" {
+		borderColor = t.BorderBright
+	}
+
 	cardStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Border(lipgloss.RoundedBorder()).
-		BorderForeground(t.Border).
+		BorderForeground(borderColor).
+		BorderBackground(t.Background).
+		Background(t.Surface).
+		Width(contentWidth).
+		Padding(0, 1)
+
+	// Title with accent color and underline effect
+	titleStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.Accent).
+		Background(t.Surface).
+		Bold(true)
+
+	content := ""
+	if title != "" {
+		// Title with subtle separator
+		titleLine := titleStyle.Render(title)
+		separatorStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.Border).Background(t.Surface)
+		separator := separatorStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("─", minInt(len(title)+2, contentWidth-2)))
+		content = titleLine + "\n" + separator + "\n"
+	}
+	content += body
+
+	return cardStyle.Render(content)
+}
+
+// PanelCard renders a full-width panel with prominent styling - used for main chart areas.
+func PanelCard(title, body string, outerWidth int) string {
+	t := theme.Active
+
+	contentWidth := outerWidth - 2
+	if contentWidth < 10 {
+		contentWidth = 10
+	}
+
+	cardStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Border(lipgloss.RoundedBorder()).
+		BorderForeground(t.BorderAccent).
+		BorderBackground(t.Background).
+		Background(t.Surface).
 		Width(contentWidth).
 		Padding(0, 1)
 
 	titleStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+		Foreground(t.AccentBright).
+		Background(t.Surface).
 		Bold(true)
 
 	content := ""
@@ -106,12 +187,57 @@ func ContentCard(title, body string, outerWidth int) string {
 	return cardStyle.Render(content)
 }
 
-// CardRow joins pre-rendered card strings horizontally.
+// CardRow joins pre-rendered card strings horizontally with matched heights.
+// This manually joins cards line-by-line to ensure shorter cards are padded
+// with proper background fill, avoiding black square artifacts.
 func CardRow(cards []string) string {
 	if len(cards) == 0 {
 		return ""
 	}
-	return lipgloss.JoinHorizontal(lipgloss.Top, cards...)
+
+	t := theme.Active
+
+	// Split each card into lines and track widths
+	cardLines := make([][]string, len(cards))
+	cardWidths := make([]int, len(cards))
+	maxHeight := 0
+
+	for i, card := range cards {
+		lines := strings.Split(card, "\n")
+		cardLines[i] = lines
+		if len(lines) > maxHeight {
+			maxHeight = len(lines)
+		}
+		// Determine card width from the first line (cards have consistent width)
+		if len(lines) > 0 {
+			cardWidths[i] = lipgloss.Width(lines[0])
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Build background-filled padding style
+	bgStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Background)
+
+	// Pad shorter cards with background-filled lines
+	for i := range cardLines {
+		for len(cardLines[i]) < maxHeight {
+			// Add a line of spaces with the proper background
+			padding := bgStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", cardWidths[i]))
+			cardLines[i] = append(cardLines[i], padding)
+		}
+	}
+
+	// Join cards line by line
+	var result strings.Builder
+	for row := 0; row < maxHeight; row++ {
+		for i := range cardLines {
+			result.WriteString(cardLines[i][row])
+		}
+		if row < maxHeight-1 {
+			result.WriteString("\n")
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result.String()
 }
 
 // CardInnerWidth returns the usable text width inside a ContentCard
@@ -123,3 +249,10 @@ func CardInnerWidth(outerWidth int) int {
 	}
 	return w
 }
+
+func minInt(a, b int) int {
+	if a < b {
+		return a
+	}
+	return b
+}
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/chart.go b/internal/tui/components/chart.go
index 2981f62..92c9cdd 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/chart.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/chart.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ func Sparkline(values []float64, color lipgloss.Color) string {
 	if len(values) == 0 {
 		return ""
 	}
+	t := theme.Active
 
 	blocks := []rune{'▁', '▂', '▃', '▄', '▅', '▆', '▇', '█'}
 
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ func Sparkline(values []float64, color lipgloss.Color) string {
 		peak = 1
 	}
 
-	style := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(color)
+	style := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(color).Background(t.Surface)
 
 	var buf strings.Builder
 	buf.Grow(len(values) * 4) // UTF-8 block chars are up to 3 bytes
@@ -46,9 +47,7 @@ func Sparkline(values []float64, color lipgloss.Color) string {
 	return style.Render(buf.String())
 }
 
-// BarChart renders a multi-row bar chart with anchored Y-axis and optional X-axis labels.
-// labels (if non-nil) should correspond 1:1 with values for x-axis display.
-// height is a target; actual height adjusts slightly so Y-axis ticks are evenly spaced.
+// BarChart renders a visually polished bar chart with gradient-style coloring.
 func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, height int) string {
 	if len(values) == 0 {
 		return ""
@@ -70,10 +69,7 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 		maxVal = 1
 	}
 
-	// Y-axis: compute tick step and ceiling, then fit within requested height.
-	// Each interval needs at least 2 rows for readable spacing, so
-	// maxIntervals = height/2. If the initial step gives too many intervals,
-	// double it until they fit.
+	// Y-axis: compute tick step and ceiling
 	tickStep := chartTickStep(maxVal)
 	maxIntervals := height / 2
 	if maxIntervals < 2 {
@@ -92,14 +88,13 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 		numIntervals = 1
 	}
 
-	// Each interval gets the same number of rows; chart height is an exact multiple.
 	rowsPerTick := height / numIntervals
 	if rowsPerTick < 2 {
 		rowsPerTick = 2
 	}
 	chartH := rowsPerTick * numIntervals
 
-	// Pre-compute tick labels at evenly-spaced row positions
+	// Pre-compute tick labels
 	yLabelW := len(formatChartLabel(ceiling)) + 1
 	if yLabelW < 4 {
 		yLabelW = 4
@@ -110,7 +105,7 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 		tickLabels[row] = formatChartLabel(tickStep * float64(i))
 	}
 
-	// Chart area width (excluding y-axis label and axis line char)
+	// Chart area width
 	chartW := width - yLabelW - 1
 	if chartW < 5 {
 		chartW = 5
@@ -118,8 +113,7 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 
 	n := len(values)
 
-	// Bar sizing: always use 1-char gaps, target barW >= 2.
-	// If bars don't fit at width 2, subsample to fewer bars.
+	// Bar sizing
 	gap := 1
 	if n <= 1 {
 		gap = 0
@@ -131,8 +125,7 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 		barW = chartW
 	}
 	if barW < 2 && n > 1 {
-		// Subsample so bars fit at width 2 with 1-char gaps
-		maxN := (chartW + 1) / 3 // each bar = 2 chars + 1 gap (last bar no gap)
+		maxN := (chartW + 1) / 3
 		if maxN < 2 {
 			maxN = 2
 		}
@@ -159,15 +152,29 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 	axisLen := n*barW + max(0, n-1)*gap
 
 	blocks := []rune{' ', '▁', '▂', '▃', '▄', '▅', '▆', '▇', '█'}
-	barStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(color)
-	axisStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim)
+
+	// Multi-color gradient for bars based on height
+	axisStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim).Background(t.Surface)
 
 	var b strings.Builder
 
-	// Render rows top to bottom using chartH (aligned to tick intervals)
+	// Render rows top to bottom
 	for row := chartH; row >= 1; row-- {
 		rowTop := ceiling * float64(row) / float64(chartH)
 		rowBottom := ceiling * float64(row-1) / float64(chartH)
+		rowPct := float64(row) / float64(chartH) // How high in the chart (0=bottom, 1=top)
+
+		// Choose bar color based on row height (gradient effect)
+		var barColor lipgloss.Color
+		switch {
+		case rowPct > 0.8:
+			barColor = t.AccentBright
+		case rowPct > 0.5:
+			barColor = color
+		default:
+			barColor = t.Accent
+		}
+		barStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(barColor).Background(t.Surface)
 
 		label := tickLabels[row]
 		b.WriteString(axisStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%*s", yLabelW, label)))
@@ -175,11 +182,11 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 
 		for i, v := range values {
 			if i > 0 && gap > 0 {
-				b.WriteString(strings.Repeat(" ", gap))
+				b.WriteString(lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface).Render(strings.Repeat(" ", gap)))
 			}
 			switch {
 			case v >= rowTop:
-				b.WriteString(barStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2588", barW)))
+				b.WriteString(barStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("█", barW)))
 			case v > rowBottom:
 				frac := (v - rowBottom) / (rowTop - rowBottom)
 				idx := int(frac * 8)
@@ -191,7 +198,7 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 				}
 				b.WriteString(barStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(string(blocks[idx]), barW)))
 			default:
-				b.WriteString(strings.Repeat(" ", barW))
+				b.WriteString(lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface).Render(strings.Repeat(" ", barW)))
 			}
 		}
 		b.WriteString("\n")
@@ -209,7 +216,6 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 			buf[i] = ' '
 		}
 
-		// Place labels at bar start positions, skip overlaps
 		minSpacing := 8
 		labelStep := max(1, (n*minSpacing)/(axisLen+1))
 
@@ -231,14 +237,11 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 			copy(buf[pos:end], lbl)
 			lastEnd = end + 1
 		}
-		// Always attempt the last label (the loop may skip it due to labelStep).
-		// Right-align to axis edge if it would overflow.
 		if n > 1 {
 			lbl := labels[n-1]
 			pos := (n - 1) * (barW + gap)
 			end := pos + len(lbl)
 			if end > axisLen {
-				// Right-align: shift left so it ends at the axis edge
 				pos = axisLen - len(lbl)
 				end = axisLen
 			}
@@ -251,8 +254,9 @@ func BarChart(values []float64, labels []string, color lipgloss.Color, width, he
 		}
 
 		b.WriteString("\n")
-		b.WriteString(strings.Repeat(" ", yLabelW+1))
-		b.WriteString(axisStyle.Render(strings.TrimRight(string(buf), " ")))
+		labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim).Background(t.Surface)
+		b.WriteString(lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface).Render(strings.Repeat(" ", yLabelW+1)))
+		b.WriteString(labelStyle.Render(strings.TrimRight(string(buf), " ")))
 	}
 
 	return b.String()
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/progress.go b/internal/tui/components/progress.go
index 39ece5b..488dafa 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/progress.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/progress.go
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
 )
 
-// ProgressBar renders a colored progress bar.
+// ProgressBar renders a visually appealing progress bar with percentage.
 func ProgressBar(pct float64, width int) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 	filled := int(pct * float64(width))
@@ -22,36 +22,45 @@ func ProgressBar(pct float64, width int) string {
 		filled = 0
 	}
 
-	filledStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.Accent)
-	emptyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim)
+	// Color gradient based on progress
+	var barColor lipgloss.Color
+	switch {
+	case pct >= 0.8:
+		barColor = t.AccentBright
+	case pct >= 0.5:
+		barColor = t.Accent
+	default:
+		barColor = t.Cyan
+	}
+
+	filledStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(barColor).Background(t.Surface)
+	emptyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim).Background(t.Surface)
+	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(barColor).Background(t.Surface).Bold(true)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface)
 
 	var b strings.Builder
-	for i := 0; i < filled; i++ {
-		b.WriteString(filledStyle.Render("\u2588"))
-	}
-	for i := filled; i < width; i++ {
-		b.WriteString(emptyStyle.Render("\u2591"))
-	}
+	b.WriteString(filledStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("█", filled)))
+	b.WriteString(emptyStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("░", width-filled)))
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %.1f%%", b.String(), pct*100)
+	return b.String() + spaceStyle.Render(" ") + pctStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%.0f%%", pct*100))
 }
 
-// ColorForPct returns green/yellow/red based on utilization level.
+// ColorForPct returns green/yellow/orange/red based on utilization level.
 func ColorForPct(pct float64) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 	switch {
-	case pct >= 0.8:
+	case pct >= 0.9:
 		return string(t.Red)
-	case pct >= 0.5:
+	case pct >= 0.7:
 		return string(t.Orange)
+	case pct >= 0.5:
+		return string(t.Yellow)
 	default:
 		return string(t.Green)
 	}
 }
 
 // RateLimitBar renders a labeled progress bar with percentage and countdown.
-// label: "5-hour", "Weekly", etc.  pct: 0.0-1.0.  resetsAt: zero means no countdown.
-// barWidth: width allocated for the progress bar portion only.
 func RateLimitBar(label string, pct float64, resetsAt time.Time, labelW, barWidth int) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 
@@ -69,9 +78,10 @@ func RateLimitBar(label string, pct float64, resetsAt time.Time, labelW, barWidt
 	)
 	bar.EmptyColor = string(t.TextDim)
 
-	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextMuted)
-	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextPrimary).Bold(true)
-	countdownStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim)
+	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextMuted).Background(t.Surface)
+	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(ColorForPct(pct))).Background(t.Surface).Bold(true)
+	countdownStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim).Background(t.Surface)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface)
 
 	pctStr := fmt.Sprintf("%3.0f%%", pct*100)
 	countdown := ""
@@ -84,16 +94,16 @@ func RateLimitBar(label string, pct float64, resetsAt time.Time, labelW, barWidt
 		}
 	}
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s %s  %s",
-		labelStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%-*s", labelW, label)),
-		bar.ViewAs(pct),
-		pctStyle.Render(pctStr),
-		countdownStyle.Render(countdown),
-	)
+	return labelStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%-*s", labelW, label)) +
+		spaceStyle.Render(" ") +
+		bar.ViewAs(pct) +
+		spaceStyle.Render(" ") +
+		pctStyle.Render(pctStr) +
+		spaceStyle.Render("  ") +
+		countdownStyle.Render(countdown)
 }
 
 // CompactRateBar renders a tiny status-bar-sized rate indicator.
-// Example output: "5h ████░░░░ 42%"
 func CompactRateBar(label string, pct float64, width int) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 
@@ -104,7 +114,6 @@ func CompactRateBar(label string, pct float64, width int) string {
 		pct = 1
 	}
 
-	// label + space + bar + space + pct(4 chars)
 	barW := width - lipgloss.Width(label) - 6
 	if barW < 4 {
 		barW = 4
@@ -117,14 +126,15 @@ func CompactRateBar(label string, pct float64, width int) string {
 	)
 	bar.EmptyColor = string(t.TextDim)
 
-	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(ColorForPct(pct)))
-	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextMuted)
+	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(ColorForPct(pct))).Background(t.Surface).Bold(true)
+	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextMuted).Background(t.Surface)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface)
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s %s",
-		labelStyle.Render(label),
-		bar.ViewAs(pct),
-		pctStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%2.0f%%", pct*100)),
-	)
+	return labelStyle.Render(label) +
+		spaceStyle.Render(" ") +
+		bar.ViewAs(pct) +
+		spaceStyle.Render(" ") +
+		pctStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%2.0f%%", pct*100))
 }
 
 func formatCountdown(d time.Duration) string {
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/statusbar.go b/internal/tui/components/statusbar.go
index 9323deb..2b4ce3d 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/statusbar.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/statusbar.go
@@ -7,80 +7,119 @@ import (
 	"github.com/theirongolddev/cburn/internal/claudeai"
 	"github.com/theirongolddev/cburn/internal/tui/theme"
 
-	"github.com/charmbracelet/bubbles/progress"
 	"github.com/charmbracelet/lipgloss"
 )
 
-// RenderStatusBar renders the bottom status bar with optional rate limit indicators.
+// RenderStatusBar renders a polished bottom status bar with rate limits and controls.
 func RenderStatusBar(width int, dataAge string, subData *claudeai.SubscriptionData, refreshing, autoRefresh bool) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 
-	style := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+	// Main container
+	barStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover).
 		Width(width)
 
-	left := " [?]help  [r]efresh  [q]uit"
+	// Build left section: keyboard hints
+	keyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.AccentBright).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover).
+		Bold(true)
 
-	// Build rate limit indicators for the middle section
-	ratePart := renderStatusRateLimits(subData)
+	hintStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
 
-	// Build right side with refresh status
+	bracketStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextDim).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	left := spaceStyle.Render(" ") +
+		bracketStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render("?") + bracketStyle.Render("]") + hintStyle.Render("help") + spaceStyle.Render("  ") +
+		bracketStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render("r") + bracketStyle.Render("]") + hintStyle.Render("efresh") + spaceStyle.Render("  ") +
+		bracketStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render("q") + bracketStyle.Render("]") + hintStyle.Render("uit")
+
+	// Build middle section: rate limit indicators
+	middle := renderStatusRateLimits(subData)
+
+	// Build right section: refresh status
 	var right string
 	if refreshing {
-		refreshStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.Accent)
-		right = refreshStyle.Render("↻ refreshing ")
+		spinnerStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+			Foreground(t.AccentBright).
+			Background(t.SurfaceHover).
+			Bold(true)
+		right = spinnerStyle.Render("↻ refreshing")
 	} else if dataAge != "" {
-		autoStr := ""
+		refreshIcon := ""
 		if autoRefresh {
-			autoStr = "↻ "
+			refreshIcon = lipgloss.NewStyle().
+				Foreground(t.Green).
+				Background(t.SurfaceHover).
+				Render("↻ ")
 		}
-		right = fmt.Sprintf("%sData: %s ", autoStr, dataAge)
+		dataStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+			Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+			Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+		right = refreshIcon + dataStyle.Render("Data: "+dataAge)
 	}
+	right += spaceStyle.Render(" ")
 
-	// Layout: left + ratePart + right, with padding distributed
-	usedWidth := lipgloss.Width(left) + lipgloss.Width(ratePart) + lipgloss.Width(right)
-	padding := width - usedWidth
+	// Calculate padding
+	leftWidth := lipgloss.Width(left)
+	middleWidth := lipgloss.Width(middle)
+	rightWidth := lipgloss.Width(right)
+
+	totalUsed := leftWidth + middleWidth + rightWidth
+	padding := width - totalUsed
 	if padding < 0 {
 		padding = 0
 	}
 
-	// Split padding: more on the left side of rate indicators
 	leftPad := padding / 2
 	rightPad := padding - leftPad
 
-	bar := left + strings.Repeat(" ", leftPad) + ratePart + strings.Repeat(" ", rightPad) + right
+	paddingStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+	bar := left +
+		paddingStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", leftPad)) +
+		middle +
+		paddingStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", rightPad)) +
+		right
 
-	return style.Render(bar)
+	return barStyle.Render(bar)
 }
 
-// renderStatusRateLimits renders compact rate limit bars for the status bar.
+// renderStatusRateLimits renders compact rate limit pills for the status bar.
 func renderStatusRateLimits(subData *claudeai.SubscriptionData) string {
 	if subData == nil || subData.Usage == nil {
 		return ""
 	}
 
 	t := theme.Active
-	sepStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextDim)
 
 	var parts []string
 
 	if w := subData.Usage.FiveHour; w != nil {
-		parts = append(parts, compactStatusBar("5h", w.Pct))
+		parts = append(parts, renderRatePill("5h", w.Pct))
 	}
 	if w := subData.Usage.SevenDay; w != nil {
-		parts = append(parts, compactStatusBar("Wk", w.Pct))
+		parts = append(parts, renderRatePill("Wk", w.Pct))
 	}
 
 	if len(parts) == 0 {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	return strings.Join(parts, sepStyle.Render(" | "))
+	sepStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextDim).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	return strings.Join(parts, sepStyle.Render(" │ "))
 }
 
-// compactStatusBar renders a tiny inline progress indicator for the status bar.
-// Format: "5h ████░░░░ 42%"
-func compactStatusBar(label string, pct float64) string {
+// renderRatePill renders a compact, colored rate indicator pill.
+func renderRatePill(label string, pct float64) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 
 	if pct < 0 {
@@ -90,20 +129,52 @@ func compactStatusBar(label string, pct float64) string {
 		pct = 1
 	}
 
+	// Choose color based on usage level
+	var barColor, pctColor lipgloss.Color
+	switch {
+	case pct >= 0.9:
+		barColor = t.Red
+		pctColor = t.Red
+	case pct >= 0.7:
+		barColor = t.Orange
+		pctColor = t.Orange
+	case pct >= 0.5:
+		barColor = t.Yellow
+		pctColor = t.Yellow
+	default:
+		barColor = t.Green
+		pctColor = t.Green
+	}
+
+	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	barStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(barColor).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	emptyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextDim).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(pctColor).
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover).
+		Bold(true)
+
+	// Render mini bar (8 chars)
 	barW := 8
-	bar := progress.New(
-		progress.WithSolidFill(ColorForPct(pct)),
-		progress.WithWidth(barW),
-		progress.WithoutPercentage(),
-	)
-	bar.EmptyColor = string(t.TextDim)
+	filled := int(pct * float64(barW))
+	if filled > barW {
+		filled = barW
+	}
 
-	labelStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.TextMuted)
-	pctStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(lipgloss.Color(ColorForPct(pct)))
+	bar := barStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("█", filled)) +
+		emptyStyle.Render(strings.Repeat("░", barW-filled))
 
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s %s %s",
-		labelStyle.Render(label),
-		bar.ViewAs(pct),
-		pctStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%2.0f%%", pct*100)),
-	)
+	spaceStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Background(t.SurfaceHover)
+
+	return labelStyle.Render(label+" ") + bar + spaceStyle.Render(" ") + pctStyle.Render(fmt.Sprintf("%2.0f%%", pct*100))
 }
diff --git a/internal/tui/components/tabbar.go b/internal/tui/components/tabbar.go
index 3fee4fd..d73336f 100644
--- a/internal/tui/components/tabbar.go
+++ b/internal/tui/components/tabbar.go
@@ -24,50 +24,113 @@ var Tabs = []Tab{
 	{Name: "Settings", Key: 'x', KeyPos: -1},
 }
 
-// RenderTabBar renders the tab bar with the given active index.
+// TabVisualWidth returns the rendered visual width of a tab.
+// This must match RenderTabBar's rendering logic exactly for mouse hit detection.
+func TabVisualWidth(tab Tab, isActive bool) int {
+	// Active tabs: just the name with padding (1 on each side)
+	if isActive {
+		return len(tab.Name) + 2
+	}
+
+	// Inactive tabs: name with padding, plus "[k]" suffix if shortcut not in name
+	w := len(tab.Name) + 2
+	if tab.KeyPos < 0 {
+		w += 3 // "[k]"
+	}
+	return w
+}
+
+// RenderTabBar renders a modern tab bar with underline-style active indicator.
 func RenderTabBar(activeIdx int, width int) string {
 	t := theme.Active
 
-	activeStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.Accent).
-		Bold(true)
+	// Container with bottom border
+	barStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Background(t.Surface).
+		Width(width)
 
-	inactiveStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextMuted)
+	// Active tab: bright text with accent underline
+	activeTabStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.AccentBright).
+		Background(t.Surface).
+		Bold(true).
+		Padding(0, 1)
 
+	// Inactive tab: muted text
+	inactiveTabStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextMuted).
+		Background(t.Surface).
+		Padding(0, 1)
+
+	// Key highlight style
 	keyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Foreground(t.Accent).
-		Bold(true)
+		Background(t.Surface)
 
-	dimKeyStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(t.TextDim)
+	dimStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.TextDim).
+		Background(t.Surface)
+
+	// Separator between tabs
+	sepStyle := lipgloss.NewStyle().
+		Foreground(t.Border).
+		Background(t.Surface)
+
+	var tabParts []string
+	var underlineParts []string
 
-	parts := make([]string, 0, len(Tabs))
 	for i, tab := range Tabs {
-		var rendered string
+		var tabContent string
+		var underline string
+
 		if i == activeIdx {
-			rendered = activeStyle.Render(tab.Name)
+			// Active tab - full name, bright
+			tabContent = activeTabStyle.Render(tab.Name)
+			// Accent underline
+			underline = lipgloss.NewStyle().
+				Foreground(t.AccentBright).
+				Background(t.Surface).
+				Render(strings.Repeat("━", lipgloss.Width(tabContent)))
 		} else {
-			// Render with highlighted shortcut key
+			// Inactive tab - show key hint
 			if tab.KeyPos >= 0 && tab.KeyPos < len(tab.Name) {
 				before := tab.Name[:tab.KeyPos]
 				key := string(tab.Name[tab.KeyPos])
 				after := tab.Name[tab.KeyPos+1:]
-				rendered = inactiveStyle.Render(before) +
-					dimKeyStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render(key) + dimKeyStyle.Render("]") +
-					inactiveStyle.Render(after)
+				tabContent = lipgloss.NewStyle().Padding(0, 1).Background(t.Surface).Render(
+					dimStyle.Render(before) + keyStyle.Render(key) + dimStyle.Render(after))
 			} else {
-				// Key not in name (e.g., "Settings" with 'x')
-				rendered = inactiveStyle.Render(tab.Name) +
-					dimKeyStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render(string(tab.Key)) + dimKeyStyle.Render("]")
+				tabContent = inactiveTabStyle.Render(tab.Name) +
+					dimStyle.Render("[") + keyStyle.Render(string(tab.Key)) + dimStyle.Render("]")
 			}
+			// Dim underline
+			underline = lipgloss.NewStyle().
+				Foreground(t.Border).
+				Background(t.Surface).
+				Render(strings.Repeat("─", lipgloss.Width(tabContent)))
+		}
+
+		tabParts = append(tabParts, tabContent)
+		underlineParts = append(underlineParts, underline)
+
+		// Add separator between tabs (not after last)
+		if i < len(Tabs)-1 {
+			tabParts = append(tabParts, sepStyle.Render(" "))
+			underlineParts = append(underlineParts, sepStyle.Render(" "))
 		}
-		parts = append(parts, rendered)
 	}
 
-	bar := " " + strings.Join(parts, "  ")
-	if lipgloss.Width(bar) <= width {
-		return bar
+	// Combine tab row and underline row
+	tabRow := strings.Join(tabParts, "")
+	underlineRow := strings.Join(underlineParts, "")
+
+	// Fill remaining width with border
+	tabRowWidth := lipgloss.Width(tabRow)
+	if tabRowWidth < width {
+		padding := width - tabRowWidth
+		tabRow += lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(t.Surface).Render(strings.Repeat(" ", padding))
+		underlineRow += lipgloss.NewStyle().Foreground(t.Border).Background(t.Surface).Render(strings.Repeat("─", padding))
 	}
-	return lipgloss.NewStyle().MaxWidth(width).Render(bar)
+
+	return barStyle.Render(tabRow + "\n" + underlineRow)
 }