diff --git a/Cargo.lock b/Cargo.lock
index b0ebcac..e99d7bd 100644
--- a/Cargo.lock
+++ b/Cargo.lock
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ version = "0.3.1"
 dependencies = [
  "dirs",
  "gtk4",
+ "libadwaita",
  "serde",
  "serde_json",
 ]
@@ -1279,6 +1280,36 @@ version = "3.1.0"
 source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
 checksum = "e2db585e1d738fc771bf08a151420d3ed193d9d895a36df7f6f8a9456b911ddc"
 
+[[package]]
+name = "libadwaita"
+version = "0.9.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "85b9900e67182a4b5b1f157b448d94f0715c8b9770cce21cf000801917f53bfa"
+dependencies = [
+ "gdk4",
+ "gio",
+ "glib",
+ "gtk4",
+ "libadwaita-sys",
+ "pango",
+]
+
+[[package]]
+name = "libadwaita-sys"
+version = "0.9.2"
+source = "registry+https://github.com/rust-lang/crates.io-index"
+checksum = "28d3c27642b389852aa99341bd4a4c19ec6f8a2b63ebdd7f5ba1952198079ccd"
+dependencies = [
+ "gdk4-sys",
+ "gio-sys",
+ "glib-sys",
+ "gobject-sys",
+ "gtk4-sys",
+ "libc",
+ "pango-sys",
+ "system-deps",
+]
+
 [[package]]
 name = "libc"
 version = "0.2.186"
diff --git a/bread-theme/Cargo.toml b/bread-theme/Cargo.toml
index 43c3952..f5e1cda 100644
--- a/bread-theme/Cargo.toml
+++ b/bread-theme/Cargo.toml
@@ -13,11 +13,24 @@ serde = { workspace = true }
 serde_json = { workspace = true }
 dirs = { workspace = true }
 gtk4 = { version = "0.11", features = ["v4_12"], optional = true }
+# Rust bindings for libadwaita (GNOME's widget library on top of GTK4) — the
+# actual source of the modern GNOME look (grouped preference rows, real
+# toggle/spin rows, view switchers), not just a CSS reskin of plain GTK4
+# widgets. `v1_7` for ToggleGroup (used for tab-row-style pickers); the
+# system library only needs to be >= that (this machine has 1.9.2).
+libadwaita = { version = "0.9", features = ["v1_7"], optional = true }
 
 [features]
 # Enable GTK4 CSS provider helpers (breadbar, breadbox, breadpad use this).
 # bread (daemon) and breadcrumbs (CLI) depend on this crate without the feature.
 gtk = ["dep:gtk4"]
+# Composite libadwaita-based widgets (bread_theme::adw) — separate from `gtk`
+# because libadwaita's own top-level window chrome (AdwApplicationWindow)
+# isn't compatible with gtk4-layer-shell surfaces, so the five layer-shell
+# apps (breadbar, breadbox, breadclip, breadsearch, breadpad) only want
+# plain CSS, not this. Apps with an ordinary top-level window (breadman,
+# breadhelp) want both.
+adw = ["gtk", "dep:libadwaita"]
 
 # The generator CLI. It only touches the gtk-free lib API (render + write), so
 # it builds without the gtk feature and stays light.
diff --git a/bread-theme/src/adw.rs b/bread-theme/src/adw.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..118e528
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bread-theme/src/adw.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+//! Composite libadwaita widgets for the bread ecosystem's design system —
+//! the actual mechanism (real GNOME-style widgets, not more hand-rolled CSS)
+//! behind why bos-settings' sidebar/section/toggle rows read as more polished
+//! than the plain-GTK4 apps'. An app calls these instead of assembling boxes
+//! and labels and raw widgets from scratch each time, so spacing/sizing/
+//! grouping decisions get made once, correctly, here — not re-derived per
+//! screen.
+//!
+//! Not usable from the five `gtk4-layer-shell` apps (breadbar, breadbox,
+//! breadclip, breadsearch, breadpad): `AdwApplicationWindow`'s own chrome
+//! isn't compatible with a layer-shell surface, and these helpers assume an
+//! ordinary top-level window. Apps with a plain top-level window (breadman,
+//! breadhelp) can use the full set.
+
+use libadwaita as adw;
+use adw::prelude::*;
+
+/// Call once at startup, before building any widgets from this module —
+/// initializes libadwaita's style manager and forces dark mode regardless of
+/// the system GTK theme preference. bread-theme's whole design is a *fixed*
+/// dark base (only the accent tracks pywal — see `palette::FIXED_BACKGROUND`
+/// etc.) so an app respecting a light system preference here would silently
+/// break that contract the moment someone's GNOME settings say "light".
+pub fn init() {
+    adw::init().expect("failed to initialize libadwaita");
+    adw::StyleManager::default().set_color_scheme(adw::ColorScheme::ForceDark);
+}
+
+/// A titled, optionally-described group of setting rows — the
+/// title-then-description-then-rows rhythm bos-settings already uses per
+/// section, now available to native GTK4/relm4 apps instead of a hand-rolled
+/// vbox with a bold label glued to the top.
+pub fn preferences_group(title: &str, description: Option<&str>) -> adw::PreferencesGroup {
+    let group = adw::PreferencesGroup::builder().title(title).build();
+    if let Some(desc) = description {
+        group.set_description(Some(desc));
+    }
+    group
+}
+
+/// A single on/off setting row with a correctly-sized, correctly-positioned
+/// switch — the direct fix for the ~1400px-wide stretched-switch bug
+/// (breadman/settings had no intrinsic width on its hand-rolled switch, so
+/// it filled the row like a progress bar).
+pub fn toggle_row(title: &str, subtitle: Option<&str>, active: bool) -> adw::SwitchRow {
+    let row = adw::SwitchRow::builder().title(title).active(active).build();
+    if let Some(sub) = subtitle {
+        row.set_subtitle(sub);
+    }
+    row
+}
+
+/// A single numeric setting row (spin button docked to its own label,
+/// instead of stranded ~1300px away at the window's far edge).
+pub fn spin_row(title: &str, subtitle: Option<&str>, adjustment: &gtk4::Adjustment) -> adw::SpinRow {
+    let row = adw::SpinRow::builder().title(title).adjustment(adjustment).build();
+    if let Some(sub) = subtitle {
+        row.set_subtitle(sub);
+    }
+    row
+}
+
+/// A general label(+subtitle) row with room for a trailing widget
+/// (`row.add_suffix(&widget)`) — for settings that don't fit switch/spin
+/// (text entries, buttons, dropdowns, a raw value display).
+pub fn action_row(title: &str, subtitle: Option<&str>) -> adw::ActionRow {
+    let row = adw::ActionRow::builder().title(title).build();
+    if let Some(sub) = subtitle {
+        row.set_subtitle(sub);
+    }
+    row
+}
+
+/// A page of one or more `preferences_group`s, with correct margins and
+/// scroll handling — the top-level content container for a settings screen.
+pub fn preferences_page() -> adw::PreferencesPage {
+    adw::PreferencesPage::new()
+}
diff --git a/bread-theme/src/gtk.rs b/bread-theme/src/gtk.rs
index aab7d01..fb759c7 100644
--- a/bread-theme/src/gtk.rs
+++ b/bread-theme/src/gtk.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,29 @@ pub fn apply_css(css: &str, provider: &RefCell<Option<CssProvider>>) {
     }
 }
 
+/// A filter/tag chip using the shared `.chip` stylesheet rule (an
+/// `@overlay`-filled pill, `@accent`-filled when the `active` CSS class is
+/// set) instead of a fresh literal color — this is the fix for the same
+/// component drifting to three different fills across breadclip (grey),
+/// breadpad, and breadman (both cream), none of which agreed with each
+/// other or with the shared token.
+pub fn chip(label: &str) -> gtk4::Button {
+    gtk4::Button::builder().label(label).css_classes(["chip"]).build()
+}
+
+/// Toggles a chip's (or any widget's) `active` CSS class — the `.chip.active`
+/// stylesheet rule fills it with the accent instead of the neutral overlay.
+/// Wiring *when* a chip becomes active (single-select filter, multi-select
+/// tags, etc.) is genuinely per-app, so that stays the caller's job; this is
+/// just the one-line visual toggle every case needs.
+pub fn set_chip_active(chip: &impl IsA<gtk4::Widget>, active: bool) {
+    if active {
+        chip.add_css_class("active");
+    } else {
+        chip.remove_css_class("active");
+    }
+}
+
 /// Apply a user CSS override file at USER priority. Clears the provider if the
 /// file is absent so stale overrides don't persist across SIGHUP reloads.
 pub fn apply_user_css(path: &Path, provider: &RefCell<Option<CssProvider>>) {
diff --git a/bread-theme/src/lib.rs b/bread-theme/src/lib.rs
index a97588b..5d1ff7f 100644
--- a/bread-theme/src/lib.rs
+++ b/bread-theme/src/lib.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 pub mod palette;
 #[cfg(feature = "gtk")]
 pub mod gtk;
+#[cfg(feature = "adw")]
+pub mod adw;
 
 pub use palette::{load_palette, Palette};
 
@@ -187,6 +189,14 @@ pub fn stylesheet(p: &Palette) -> String {
          switch {{ background-color: @overlay; border-radius: {pill}px; }}\n\
          switch:checked {{ background-color: @accent; }}\n\
          switch slider {{ background-color: @on-surface; border-radius: {pill}px; }}\n\
+         /* GtkScale (sliders) render with GTK's own default accent (a fixed\
+            blue, independent of the app's theme) unless styled explicitly —\
+            every app with a volume/brightness slider was silently showing\
+            that default instead of the palette's accent until this rule\
+            existed. */\n\
+         scale trough {{ background-color: @overlay; border-radius: {pill}px; min-height: 6px; }}\n\
+         scale trough highlight {{ background-color: @accent; border-radius: {pill}px; min-height: 6px; }}\n\
+         scale slider {{ background-color: @on-bg; border-radius: {pill}px; }}\n\
          list, listbox {{ background-color: transparent; }}\n\
          row {{ border-radius: {r2}px; }}\n\
          row:selected, list row:selected {{ background-color: @accent; color: @on-accent; }}\n\