diff --git a/agent/JOURNAL.md b/agent/JOURNAL.md
index 1a66ce9..5c1492a 100644
--- a/agent/JOURNAL.md
+++ b/agent/JOURNAL.md
@@ -34,6 +34,11 @@ Template:
 - **Did:** Researched modern Hyprland styles and generated a concept using Nano Banana. Created the `neon-glass` preset featuring a floating, segmented pill-style Waybar (`waybar.css`) and a glassmorphic Rofi launcher (`rofi.rasi`). Generated a matching 4K wallpaper.
 - **Verified:** Contrast checker script passed (22 themes x 7 pairings green). Flake check passed cleanly.
 
+## 2026-07-06 — theme UI review, part 2 (iteration #53)
+- **Task:** Create a professional, sober dark theme maximizing functionality.
+- **Did:** Generated a minimalist geometric concept wallpaper. Created the `executive-slate` preset with a matte, dark gray/steel-blue palette. Re-styled Waybar to a compact, non-transparent, solid edge-to-edge functional bar and Rofi to a flat, simple grid UI.
+- **Verified:** Contrast checker script passed (23 themes x 7 pairings green). Flake check passed cleanly.
+
 ## 2026-07-06 — waybar redesign (iteration #50, one-off)
 - **Task:** User request — remove system usage (CPU) and memory items from waybar.
 - **Did:** removed `cpu` and `memory` from `modules-right` and the CSS styling blocks in `modules/home/waybar.nix`.
diff --git a/themes/executive-slate.json b/themes/executive-slate.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5ef6d79
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/executive-slate.json
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+  "version": 1,
+  "name": "Executive Slate",
+  "slug": "executive-slate",
+  "mode": "dark",
+  "wallpaper": "",
+  "colors": {
+    "base": "#1A1D24",
+    "mantle": "#14161C",
+    "surface": "#232731",
+    "overlay": "#333947",
+    "text": "#D4DAE8",
+    "subtext": "#8792A6",
+    "muted": "#525A6E",
+    "accent": "#4D78CC",
+    "accentAlt": "#6C92D9",
+    "good": "#68A06B",
+    "warn": "#D19C4C",
+    "bad": "#C95F65"
+  },
+  "border": {
+    "active": "accent",
+    "inactive": "overlay"
+  },
+  "ansi": [
+    "#232731",
+    "#C95F65",
+    "#68A06B",
+    "#D19C4C",
+    "#4D78CC",
+    "#836CC9",
+    "#4C99A0",
+    "#D4DAE8",
+    "#525A6E",
+    "#D67177",
+    "#7BB57F",
+    "#E0AF5E",
+    "#6C92D9",
+    "#9A84E0",
+    "#5FABB3",
+    "#FFFFFF"
+  ]
+}
diff --git a/themes/executive-slate/backgrounds/wallpaper.png b/themes/executive-slate/backgrounds/wallpaper.png
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6cce8a3
Binary files /dev/null and b/themes/executive-slate/backgrounds/wallpaper.png differ
diff --git a/themes/executive-slate/rofi.rasi b/themes/executive-slate/rofi.rasi
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e25fe54
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/executive-slate/rofi.rasi
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/* 
+ * Executive Slate Rofi Theme
+ * Clean, flat, functional, professional.
+ */
+
+* {
+    background-color: transparent;
+    text-color: var(text, #D4DAE8);
+    font: "Inter 13";
+}
+
+window {
+    width: 600px;
+    background-color: var(base, #1A1D24);
+    border: 1px solid var(overlay, #333947);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    padding: 16px;
+}
+
+mainbox {
+    spacing: 12px;
+}
+
+inputbar {
+    background-color: var(surface, #232731);
+    border: 1px solid var(overlay, #333947);
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    padding: 10px 14px;
+    spacing: 10px;
+    children: [ prompt, entry ];
+}
+
+prompt {
+    text-color: var(accent, #4D78CC);
+}
+
+entry {
+    placeholder: "Type to filter...";
+    placeholder-color: var(subtext, #8792A6);
+}
+
+listview {
+    lines: 7;
+    spacing: 4px;
+    scrollbar: false;
+    border: 0px;
+}
+
+element {
+    padding: 8px 14px;
+    border-radius: 4px;
+    spacing: 12px;
+}
+
+element normal.normal, element alternate.normal {
+    background-color: transparent;
+}
+
+/* Functional highlight: solid surface color with a subtle accent edge */
+element selected.normal {
+    background-color: var(surface, #232731);
+    text-color: var(text, #D4DAE8);
+    border: 0 0 0 4px solid;
+    border-color: var(accent, #4D78CC);
+}
+
+element-icon {
+    size: 24px;
+    background-color: transparent;
+}
+
+element-text {
+    background-color: transparent;
+    vertical-align: 0.5;
+}
+
+element-text selected {
+    text-color: var(text, #D4DAE8);
+}
diff --git a/themes/executive-slate/waybar.css b/themes/executive-slate/waybar.css
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c51ca2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/executive-slate/waybar.css
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+/* Executive Slate Waybar — Solid, functional, professional */
+
+* {
+  font-family: "Inter", "Symbols Nerd Font", sans-serif;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  font-weight: 500;
+  border: none;
+  border-radius: 0;
+  min-height: 0;
+}
+
+window#waybar {
+  background: @base;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid @mantle;
+  color: @text;
+}
+
+/* Tightly packed modules for a functional feel */
+.modules-left,
+.modules-center,
+.modules-right {
+  margin: 0;
+  padding: 0;
+}
+
+#workspaces button,
+#window,
+#clock,
+#tray,
+#pulseaudio,
+#battery,
+#custom-notification,
+#custom-vpn,
+#custom-powerprofile,
+#custom-updates,
+#custom-doctor {
+  padding: 0 10px;
+  margin: 0;
+  border-radius: 0;
+}
+
+/* Subtle hover effects */
+#workspaces button {
+  color: @subtext;
+  transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out;
+  border-bottom: 2px solid transparent;
+}
+
+#workspaces button:hover {
+  background: @surface;
+  color: @text;
+}
+
+/* Active gets a strong underline instead of a glowing background */
+#workspaces button.active {
+  color: @text;
+  background: @surface;
+  border-bottom: 2px solid @accent;
+}
+
+#workspaces button.urgent {
+  color: @bad;
+  border-bottom: 2px solid @bad;
+}
+
+/* Minimal indicators */
+#battery.charging { color: @good; }
+#battery.warning:not(.charging) { color: @warn; }
+#battery.critical:not(.charging) {
+  color: @bad;
+  background: @surface;
+  border-bottom: 2px solid @bad;
+}
+
+#pulseaudio.muted { color: @muted; }
+#custom-updates { color: @accentAlt; }
+#custom-doctor { color: @bad; }
+#custom-vpn { color: @accent; }
+
+/* Functional tooltip */
+tooltip {
+  background: @base;
+  border: 1px solid @overlay;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+}
+tooltip label {
+  color: @text;
+}