diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/DesktopState.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/DesktopState.kt
index 69eaa47..afd8b5b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/DesktopState.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/DesktopState.kt
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ class DesktopState(private val appDir: File = defaultAppDir()) {
         scope.launch {
             prefs.putString(KEY_THEME, when (mode) {
                 ThemeMode.LIGHT -> "light"
-                ThemeMode.MERIDIAN -> "meridian"
+                ThemeMode.DARK -> "dark"
                 ThemeMode.DEFAULT -> "default"
             })
         }
@@ -196,10 +196,10 @@ class DesktopState(private val appDir: File = defaultAppDir()) {
                 ?.let { _sortOrder.value = it }
             _summarizer.value = prefs.getString(KEY_SUMMARIZER) ?: "auto"
             _themeMode.value = when (prefs.getString(KEY_THEME)) {
-                // legacy "dark" (meridian-era default) now means Sonar;
-                // pick Meridian explicitly to get the old look back
+                // legacy values: "dark" was always the charcoal palette;
+                // "meridian" is that palette renamed; "sonar" became Default
                 "light" -> ThemeMode.LIGHT
-                "meridian" -> ThemeMode.MERIDIAN
+                "meridian", "dark" -> ThemeMode.DARK
                 else -> ThemeMode.DEFAULT
             }
             loadNotifyState()
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Screens.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Screens.kt
index 5a3ce59..e0c5c4b 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Screens.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Screens.kt
@@ -1332,17 +1332,17 @@ fun SettingsScreen(state: DesktopState) {
             PillChip(selected = mode == ThemeMode.DEFAULT,
                 onClick = { state.setThemeMode(ThemeMode.DEFAULT) },
                 label = "Default")
-            PillChip(selected = mode == ThemeMode.MERIDIAN,
-                onClick = { state.setThemeMode(ThemeMode.MERIDIAN) },
-                label = "Meridian")
+            PillChip(selected = mode == ThemeMode.DARK,
+                onClick = { state.setThemeMode(ThemeMode.DARK) },
+                label = "Dark")
             PillChip(selected = mode == ThemeMode.LIGHT,
                 onClick = { state.setThemeMode(ThemeMode.LIGHT) },
                 label = "Light")
         }
         HelperText("Default is the Android companion app's palette (navy + " +
-            "teal) — so desktop and phone read as one product. Meridian " +
-            "is the charcoal/blue look; Light mirrors the same hierarchy " +
-            "on paper tones. Applied instantly.")
+            "teal) — so desktop and phone read as one product. Dark is " +
+            "the charcoal/blue look; Light is a warm-paper mode easy on " +
+            "the eyes. Applied instantly.")
         SectionHeader("Recordings folder")
         Row(verticalAlignment = Alignment.CenterVertically,
             horizontalArrangement = Arrangement.spacedBy(Shonar.Space2)) {
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Theme.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Theme.kt
index 60a5f0d..8c90bc3 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Theme.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/com/shonar/desktop/Theme.kt
@@ -110,21 +110,24 @@ private val DarkPalette = ShonarPalette(
     highlightTint = Color(0xFF573440),   // exact mauve row wash
 )
 
-/** Light mode: neutral-cool paper; blue and pink darken to AA values
- *  (the highlight pink would be illegible at #FB3F7F on white). */
+/** Light mode: warm paper, not white — a full-white page glares under
+ *  room lighting (user note, Sep 21). Cream-beige page + off-white
+ *  cards keep hierarchy without the brightness; ink softens to a warm
+ *  charcoal, borders to a warm taupe. Accent and pink darken to keep
+ *  AA contrast on the beige ground. */
 private val LightPalette = ShonarPalette(
-    background = Color(0xFFF4F5F8),      // page: cool paper
-    surface = Color(0xFFFFFFFF),         // cards, fields, pills
-    surfaceAlt = Color(0xFFE9ECF2),      // pressed / hover / inset
-    border = Color(0xFFD7DBE4),          // hairline on light
+    background = Color(0xFFEDEAE3),      // page: warm paper (not #FFF)
+    surface = Color(0xFFFAF7F0),         // cards: soft off-white
+    surfaceAlt = Color(0xFFE3DFD5),      // pressed / hover / inset
+    border = Color(0xFFCFC9BB),          // hairline on light
     accent = Color(0xFF0550AE),          // deep blue: AA on paper
     accentStrong = Color(0xFF0B3E78),    // filled-accent hover depth
     accentGlow = Color(0x260969DA),      // soft halo (~15% blue)
     inkOnAccent = Color(0xFFF4F8FF),     // text on filled accent
-    textPrimary = Color(0xFF1C2028),
-    textSecondary = Color(0xFF585F6C),
-    textMuted = Color(0xFF828A97),
-    error = Color(0xFFBA1A1A),           // AA red on white
+    textPrimary = Color(0xFF26231D),     // warm charcoal, not pure black
+    textSecondary = Color(0xFF5B564C),
+    textMuted = Color(0xFF857F72),
+    error = Color(0xFFBA1A1A),           // AA red on paper
     onError = Color(0xFFFFF8F7),
     highlight = Color(0xFFC2185B),       // AA rose: recording highlight
     highlightTint = Color(0x1AC2185B),   // faint rose row wash
@@ -159,11 +162,11 @@ private val SonarPalette = ShonarPalette(
 )
 
 /** Which palette the app renders in. Persisted as "default" /
- *  "meridian" / "light" (legacy "dark"/"sonar" load as DEFAULT).
+ *  "dark" / "light" (legacy "meridian"/"sonar"/"dark" values all map
+ *  sensibly; old "dark" meant the charcoal palette → DARK).
  *  DEFAULT mirrors the Android companion app's palette so the two read
- *  as one product; MERIDIAN is the charcoal/blue look from the Sep
- *  design pass, kept optional. */
-enum class ThemeMode { DEFAULT, MERIDIAN, LIGHT }
+ *  as one product; DARK is the charcoal/blue look, kept optional. */
+enum class ThemeMode { DEFAULT, DARK, LIGHT }
 
 object Shonar {
     // ---- palette routing ----
@@ -376,7 +379,7 @@ fun ShonarTheme(
 ) {
     val palette = when (mode) {
         ThemeMode.LIGHT -> LightPalette
-        ThemeMode.MERIDIAN -> DarkPalette
+        ThemeMode.DARK -> DarkPalette
         ThemeMode.DEFAULT -> SonarPalette
     }
     // Every typography tier carries explicit per-palette ink: a TextStyle