diff --git a/cli/internal/theme/theme.go b/cli/internal/theme/theme.go
index 8cf6bde..ccd7840 100644
--- a/cli/internal/theme/theme.go
+++ b/cli/internal/theme/theme.go
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ func CategoryColor(cat string) color.Color {
 }
 
 // ─── Reusable styles ─────────────────────────────────────────
+//
+// IMPORTANT: Every style MUST have Background(ScreenBg) so the cream
+// background propagates through all ANSI sequences. Wrapping
+// already-styled text with a background style does NOT work because
+// inner escape sequences reset the background.
 
 var (
 	// Title bar
@@ -69,44 +74,53 @@ var (
 	// Header / breadcrumb
 	Breadcrumb = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(Mid).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Bold(false)
 
 	BreadcrumbActive = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 				Foreground(Dark).
+				Background(ScreenBg).
 				Bold(true)
 
 	// File row
 	FileName = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(Dark).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Bold(true)
 
 	FileSize = lipgloss.NewStyle().
-			Foreground(Light)
+			Foreground(Light).
+			Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	ExtBadge = func(c color.Color) lipgloss.Style {
 		return lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(c).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Bold(true)
 	}
 
 	// Status indicators
 	StatusIdle = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(Light).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Italic(true)
 
 	StatusConverting = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 				Foreground(Pink).
+				Background(ScreenBg).
 				Bold(true)
 
 	StatusDone = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(Mint).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Bold(true)
 
 	StatusError = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(Red).
+			Background(ScreenBg).
 			Bold(true)
 
-	// Buttons / actions
+	// Buttons / actions (these keep their own bg colors)
 	ButtonPrimary = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(lipgloss.Color("#ffffff")).
 			Background(Pink).
@@ -121,50 +135,67 @@ var (
 
 	// Progress bar
 	ProgressFilled = lipgloss.NewStyle().
-			Foreground(Pink)
+			Foreground(Pink).
+			Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	ProgressEmpty = lipgloss.NewStyle().
-			Foreground(BorderCl)
+			Foreground(BorderCl).
+			Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	// Help / footer
 	Help = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Foreground(Light).
+		Background(ScreenBg).
 		Italic(true)
 
 	// Cursor / selection
 	Selected = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Bold(true).
-			Foreground(Pink)
+			Foreground(Pink).
+			Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	Unselected = lipgloss.NewStyle().
-			Foreground(Dark)
+			Foreground(Dark).
+			Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	// Divider
 	Divider = lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Foreground(BorderCl)
+		Foreground(BorderCl).
+		Background(ScreenBg)
 
 	// Logo / branding
 	Logo = lipgloss.NewStyle().
 		Foreground(Pink).
+		Background(ScreenBg).
 		Bold(true)
 )
 
-// PadLine pads a single rendered line to the full terminal width and applies
-// the cream background behind ALL content (not just the padding). This is
-// achieved by placing the line inside a full-width style with Background set.
+// BgStyle returns a plain style with just the cream background, useful
+// for spacing characters that need to carry the background color.
+var BgStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(ScreenBg)
+
+// WarmBgStyle returns a plain style with the warm highlight background.
+var WarmBgStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(Warm)
+
+// PadLine pads a single rendered line to the full terminal width with
+// cream background spaces on the right edge.
 func PadLine(line string, width int) string {
-	return PadLineWithBg(line, width, ScreenBg)
+	w := lipgloss.Width(line)
+	if w >= width {
+		return line
+	}
+	pad := BgStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", width-w))
+	return line + pad
 }
 
 // PadLineWithBg pads a line to full width with a specific background color.
 func PadLineWithBg(line string, width int, bg color.Color) string {
 	w := lipgloss.Width(line)
 	if w >= width {
-		// Even if the line is already wide enough, wrap with background
-		return lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(bg).Render(line)
+		return line
 	}
-	pad := strings.Repeat(" ", width-w)
-	return lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(bg).Render(line + pad)
+	pad := lipgloss.NewStyle().Background(bg).Render(strings.Repeat(" ", width-w))
+	return line + pad
 }
 
 // FillBlankLines returns n blank lines fully painted with the screen
@@ -173,9 +204,7 @@ func FillBlankLines(n, width int) string {
 	if n <= 0 {
 		return ""
 	}
-	blankLine := lipgloss.NewStyle().
-		Background(ScreenBg).
-		Render(strings.Repeat(" ", width))
+	blankLine := BgStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", width))
 	lines := make([]string, n)
 	for i := range lines {
 		lines[i] = blankLine
diff --git a/cli/internal/tui/views.go b/cli/internal/tui/views.go
index bca947d..a64cf81 100644
--- a/cli/internal/tui/views.go
+++ b/cli/internal/tui/views.go
@@ -21,6 +21,16 @@ const (
 	colGap    = 2  // gap between columns
 )
 
+// bg renders spacing text with the cream background.
+func bg(s string) string {
+	return theme.BgStyle.Render(s)
+}
+
+// wbg renders spacing text with the warm highlight background.
+func wbg(s string) string {
+	return theme.WarmBgStyle.Render(s)
+}
+
 // nameWidth calculates the flexible Name column width.
 func nameWidth(termW int) int {
 	fixed := colCursor + colCheck + colSize + colFormat + colStatus + colGap*3
@@ -31,7 +41,7 @@ func nameWidth(termW int) int {
 	return w
 }
 
-// pad is a shortcut that pads a line to full width with cream background.
+// pad pads a line to full width with cream background.
 func (m Model) pad(line string) string {
 	return theme.PadLine(line, m.width)
 }
@@ -43,7 +53,7 @@ func (m Model) padWarm(line string) string {
 
 // blank returns a full-width blank line with cream background.
 func (m Model) blank() string {
-	return theme.PadLine("", m.width)
+	return theme.BgStyle.Render(strings.Repeat(" ", m.width))
 }
 
 // View renders the entire TUI, filling the full terminal.
@@ -100,10 +110,8 @@ func (m Model) View() string {
 	// Calculate how many blank lines we need between content and bottom bar
 	totalUsed := len(lines) + len(bottomLines)
 	remaining := m.height - totalUsed
-	if remaining > 0 {
-		for i := 0; i < remaining; i++ {
-			lines = append(lines, m.blank())
-		}
+	for i := 0; i < remaining; i++ {
+		lines = append(lines, m.blank())
 	}
 
 	// Append bottom bar lines
@@ -121,7 +129,6 @@ func (m Model) View() string {
 
 func (m Model) renderTitleBar() string {
 	title := theme.Logo.Render("transmute")
-
 	fileCount := fmt.Sprintf("%d files", len(m.files))
 	selected := 0
 	for _, f := range m.files {
@@ -131,14 +138,14 @@ func (m Model) renderTitleBar() string {
 	}
 	info := theme.Breadcrumb.Render(fmt.Sprintf("  %s \u00B7 %d selected", fileCount, selected))
 
-	left := "  " + title + info
-	rightContent := theme.Help.Render("? help") + "  "
+	left := bg("  ") + title + info
+	rightContent := theme.Help.Render("? help") + bg("  ")
 	gap := m.width - lipgloss.Width(left) - lipgloss.Width(rightContent)
 	if gap < 1 {
 		gap = 1
 	}
 
-	return left + strings.Repeat(" ", gap) + rightContent
+	return left + bg(strings.Repeat(" ", gap)) + rightContent
 }
 
 // ─── Divider ─────────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -148,7 +155,7 @@ func (m Model) renderDivider() string {
 	if w < 10 {
 		w = 10
 	}
-	return "  " + theme.Divider.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2500", w)) + "  "
+	return bg("  ") + theme.Divider.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2500", w)) + bg("  ")
 }
 
 // ─── Column header ───────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -162,7 +169,7 @@ func (m Model) renderColumnHeader() string {
 	fmtHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Convert to")
 	statHdr := theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render("Status")
 
-	return nameHdr + "  " + sizeHdr + "  " + fmtHdr + "  " + statHdr
+	return nameHdr + bg("  ") + sizeHdr + bg("  ") + fmtHdr + bg("  ") + statHdr
 }
 
 // ─── File rows ───────────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -172,6 +179,7 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRows() []string {
 	if len(m.files) == 0 {
 		empty := lipgloss.NewStyle().
 			Foreground(theme.Light).
+			Background(theme.ScreenBg).
 			Italic(true).
 			Render("    No supported files found. Pass file paths or glob patterns as arguments.")
 		return []string{m.blank(), m.pad(empty), m.blank()}
@@ -185,8 +193,8 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRows() []string {
 
 	var rows []string
 	for i := m.scroll; i < end; i++ {
-		row := m.renderFileRow(i)
 		isCursor := i == m.cursor
+		row := m.renderFileRow(i)
 		if isCursor {
 			rows = append(rows, m.padWarm(row))
 		} else {
@@ -209,22 +217,44 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRow(idx int) string {
 	isCursor := idx == m.cursor
 	nw := nameWidth(m.width)
 
-	// ── Cursor indicator ──
-	cursor := "   "
+	// Choose background helper based on whether this is the cursor row
+	sp := bg
 	if isCursor {
-		cursor = " " + theme.Selected.Render(">") + " "
+		sp = wbg
+	}
+
+	// ── Cursor indicator ──
+	cursor := sp("   ")
+	if isCursor {
+		cursor = sp(" ") + theme.Selected.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render(">") + sp(" ")
 	}
 
 	// ── Selection dot ──
-	check := theme.Breadcrumb.Render("\u25CB") + " " // ○
+	var check string
 	if f.selected {
-		check = theme.StatusDone.Render("\u25CF") + " " // ●  (mint)
+		if isCursor {
+			check = theme.StatusDone.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("\u25CF") + sp(" ")
+		} else {
+			check = theme.StatusDone.Render("\u25CF") + sp(" ")
+		}
+	} else {
+		if isCursor {
+			check = theme.Breadcrumb.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("\u25CB") + sp(" ")
+		} else {
+			check = theme.Breadcrumb.Render("\u25CB") + sp(" ")
+		}
 	}
 
 	// ── Icon + ext badge + filename ──
 	icon := detect.CategoryIcon(f.category)
 	catColor := theme.CategoryColor(string(f.category))
-	extBadge := theme.ExtBadge(catColor).Render(strings.ToUpper(f.ext))
+
+	var extBadge string
+	if isCursor {
+		extBadge = theme.ExtBadge(catColor).Background(theme.Warm).Render(strings.ToUpper(f.ext))
+	} else {
+		extBadge = theme.ExtBadge(catColor).Render(strings.ToUpper(f.ext))
+	}
 
 	nameText := f.name
 	maxName := nw - 10
@@ -237,55 +267,100 @@ func (m Model) renderFileRow(idx int) string {
 
 	var nameStyle lipgloss.Style
 	if isCursor {
-		nameStyle = theme.FileName.Copy().Bold(true)
+		nameStyle = theme.FileName.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Bold(true)
 	} else {
 		nameStyle = theme.FileName
 	}
 
-	nameContent := icon + " " + extBadge + " " + nameStyle.Render(nameText)
-	nameCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(nw).MaxWidth(nw).Render(nameContent)
+	nameContent := sp(icon+" ") + extBadge + sp(" ") + nameStyle.Render(nameText)
+	var nameCellStyle lipgloss.Style
+	if isCursor {
+		nameCellStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(nw).MaxWidth(nw).Background(theme.Warm)
+	} else {
+		nameCellStyle = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(nw).MaxWidth(nw).Background(theme.ScreenBg)
+	}
+	nameCell := nameCellStyle.Render(nameContent)
 
 	// ── Size ──
-	sizeCell := theme.FileSize.Copy().Width(colSize).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render(formatSize(f.size))
+	var sizeCell string
+	if isCursor {
+		sizeCell = theme.FileSize.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Width(colSize).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render(formatSize(f.size))
+	} else {
+		sizeCell = theme.FileSize.Copy().Width(colSize).Align(lipgloss.Right).Render(formatSize(f.size))
+	}
 
 	// ── Format selector ──
 	fmtStr := renderFormatSelector(f, isCursor)
-	fmtCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(fmtStr)
+	var fmtCell string
+	if isCursor {
+		fmtCell = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Background(theme.Warm).Render(fmtStr)
+	} else {
+		fmtCell = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colFormat).Align(lipgloss.Center).Background(theme.ScreenBg).Render(fmtStr)
+	}
 
 	// ── Status ──
 	var statusStr string
 	switch f.status {
 	case "idle":
-		statusStr = theme.StatusIdle.Render("idle")
+		if isCursor {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusIdle.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("idle")
+		} else {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusIdle.Render("idle")
+		}
 	case "converting":
-		statusStr = theme.StatusConverting.Render("converting...")
+		if isCursor {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusConverting.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("converting...")
+		} else {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusConverting.Render("converting...")
+		}
 	case "done":
-		statusStr = theme.StatusDone.Render("done")
+		if isCursor {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusDone.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("done")
+		} else {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusDone.Render("done")
+		}
 	case "error":
-		statusStr = theme.StatusError.Render("error")
+		if isCursor {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusError.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("error")
+		} else {
+			statusStr = theme.StatusError.Render("error")
+		}
+	}
+	var statusCell string
+	if isCursor {
+		statusCell = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Background(theme.Warm).Render(statusStr)
+	} else {
+		statusCell = lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Background(theme.ScreenBg).Render(statusStr)
 	}
-	statusCell := lipgloss.NewStyle().Width(colStatus).Align(lipgloss.Center).Render(statusStr)
 
-	return cursor + check + nameCell + "  " + sizeCell + "  " + fmtCell + "  " + statusCell
+	return cursor + check + nameCell + sp("  ") + sizeCell + sp("  ") + fmtCell + sp("  ") + statusCell
 }
 
 func renderFormatSelector(f fileEntry, active bool) string {
 	if len(f.formats) == 0 {
+		if active {
+			return theme.Help.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("\u2014")
+		}
 		return theme.Help.Render("\u2014")
 	}
 
-	left := "  "
-	right := "  "
+	sp := bg
+	if active {
+		sp = wbg
+	}
+
+	left := sp("  ")
+	right := sp("  ")
 	if active && f.formatIdx > 0 {
-		left = theme.Help.Render("< ")
+		left = theme.Help.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render("< ")
 	}
 	if active && f.formatIdx < len(f.formats)-1 {
-		right = theme.Help.Render(" >")
+		right = theme.Help.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render(" >")
 	}
 
 	var middle string
 	if active {
-		middle = theme.Selected.Render(f.targetFormat)
+		middle = theme.Selected.Copy().Background(theme.Warm).Render(f.targetFormat)
 	} else {
 		middle = theme.Unselected.Render(f.targetFormat)
 	}
@@ -305,19 +380,19 @@ func (m Model) renderBottomBar() string {
 
 	var left string
 	if selected > 0 {
-		left = "  " + theme.ButtonPrimary.Render(fmt.Sprintf(" Convert %d files [c] ", selected))
+		left = bg("  ") + theme.ButtonPrimary.Render(fmt.Sprintf(" Convert %d files [c] ", selected))
 	} else {
-		left = "  " + theme.Help.Render("Select files to convert")
+		left = bg("  ") + theme.Help.Render("Select files to convert")
 	}
 
-	right := theme.Help.Render("up/down navigate  left/right format  space select  a all  q quit") + "  "
+	right := theme.Help.Render("up/down navigate  left/right format  space select  a all  q quit") + bg("  ")
 
 	gap := m.width - lipgloss.Width(left) - lipgloss.Width(right)
 	if gap < 1 {
 		gap = 1
 	}
 
-	return left + strings.Repeat(" ", gap) + right
+	return left + bg(strings.Repeat(" ", gap)) + right
 }
 
 // ─── Converting view ─────────────────────────────────────────
@@ -339,7 +414,7 @@ func (m Model) renderConverting() string {
 		filled = barWidth
 	}
 
-	bar := "  " +
+	bar := bg("  ") +
 		theme.ProgressFilled.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2588", filled)) +
 		theme.ProgressEmpty.Render(strings.Repeat("\u2591", barWidth-filled))
 
@@ -440,9 +515,9 @@ func (m Model) renderHelp() string {
 	lines = append(lines, "")
 
 	for _, k := range keys {
-		lines = append(lines, fmt.Sprintf("  %s  %s",
-			theme.Selected.Copy().Width(18).Render(k.key),
-			theme.Help.Render(k.desc)))
+		lines = append(lines, bg("  ")+
+			theme.Selected.Copy().Width(18).Render(k.key)+bg("  ")+
+			theme.Help.Render(k.desc))
 	}
 	lines = append(lines, "")
 
diff --git a/cli/internal/update/update.go b/cli/internal/update/update.go
index b305369..458ca4e 100644
--- a/cli/internal/update/update.go
+++ b/cli/internal/update/update.go
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ import (
 
 const (
 	// CurrentVersion is the embedded build version. Updated at release time.
-	CurrentVersion = "0.1.1"
+	CurrentVersion = "0.1.2"
 
 	repoOwner = "noauf"
 	repoName  = "Transmute"