diff --git a/source/components/editor-shell/editor-shell.css b/source/components/editor-shell/editor-shell.css
index 52e8cf6..cedba32 100644
--- a/source/components/editor-shell/editor-shell.css
+++ b/source/components/editor-shell/editor-shell.css
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ editor-shell {
   overflow: hidden;
   background: #0f1117;
   color: #e2e4ed;
-  font-family: ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif;
+  font-family: Barlow, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", sans-serif;
 }
 
 .es-header {
@@ -26,11 +26,15 @@ editor-shell {
 }
 .es-back:hover { color: #e2e4ed; }
 
-.es-title {
+.es-title 
+{
   flex: 1;
   font-size: 0.9rem;
-  font-weight: 600;
-  color: #c8cbde;
+  font-weight: 900;
+  color: #fff;
+  font-style: italic;
+  letter-spacing: 0.05em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
 }
 
 .es-portrait-btns {
diff --git a/source/components/tab-container/tab-container.css b/source/components/tab-container/tab-container.css
index 7269bf4..288b4e2 100644
--- a/source/components/tab-container/tab-container.css
+++ b/source/components/tab-container/tab-container.css
@@ -40,8 +40,8 @@ tab-container.tc-drop-target {
   color: #7b7f96;
   cursor: pointer;
   white-space: nowrap;
-  border-right: 1px solid #2a2d3a;
   user-select: none;
+  font-weight: 700;
 }
 
 .tc-tab:hover { color: #c8cbde; background: #1a1d27; }
diff --git a/source/server/middleware/auth.ts b/source/server/middleware/auth.ts
index 26f2698..989ae09 100644
--- a/source/server/middleware/auth.ts
+++ b/source/server/middleware/auth.ts
@@ -51,17 +51,29 @@ interface RefreshResult {
 }
 
 async function tryRefresh( refreshToken: string ): Promise<RefreshResult | null> {
+  const url = `${AUTH_INTERNAL_HOST}/api/auth/refresh`;
+  console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh →', url );
   try {
-    const r = await fetch( `${AUTH_INTERNAL_HOST}/api/auth/refresh`, {
+    const r = await fetch( url, {
       method:  'POST',
       headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/json' },
       body:    JSON.stringify( { refreshToken } )
     } );
-    if ( !r.ok ) return null;
+    console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh status:', r.status );
+    if ( !r.ok ) {
+      const body = await r.text();
+      console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh error body:', body );
+      return null;
+    }
     const data = await r.json() as Partial<RefreshResult>;
-    if ( !data.accessToken || !data.refreshToken ) return null;
+    if ( !data.accessToken || !data.refreshToken ) {
+      console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh missing tokens in response:', Object.keys( data ) );
+      return null;
+    }
+    console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh succeeded' );
     return { accessToken: data.accessToken, refreshToken: data.refreshToken };
-  } catch {
+  } catch ( err ) {
+    console.log( '[auth] tryRefresh fetch error:', err );
     return null;
   }
 }
@@ -84,11 +96,18 @@ export function jwtMiddleware( req: Request, res: Response, next: NextFunction )
     }
 
     // API request with expired token — try transparent refresh via refreshToken cookie
+    console.log( '[auth] expired token on API route:', req.path );
     const refreshToken = req.cookies?.refreshToken as string | undefined;
-    if ( !refreshToken ) { next(); return; }
+    if ( !refreshToken ) {
+      console.log( '[auth] no refreshToken cookie — cannot refresh' );
+      next(); return;
+    }
 
     tryRefresh( refreshToken ).then( result => {
-      if ( !result ) { next(); return; }
+      if ( !result ) {
+        console.log( '[auth] refresh failed, returning 401 for:', req.path );
+        next(); return;
+      }
       res.cookie( 'accessToken',  result.accessToken,  cookieOpts( 60 * 60 * 1000 ) );
       res.cookie( 'refreshToken', result.refreshToken, cookieOpts( 30 * 24 * 60 * 60 * 1000 ) );
       try {