diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIInventoryFull.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIInventoryFull.kt
index 77d9d4986..da09c9d93 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIInventoryFull.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIInventoryFull.kt
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Camera
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.Color
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.GL20
 import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.g2d.SpriteBatch
+import com.badlogic.gdx.graphics.glutils.ShapeRenderer
 import net.torvald.terrarum.*
 import net.torvald.terrarum.gameactors.ActorWithPhysics
 import net.torvald.terrarum.gameactors.InventoryPair
@@ -129,7 +130,33 @@ class UIInventoryFull(
         equipped?.update(delta)
     }
 
+    private val gradStartCol = Color(0x404040_60)
+    private val gradEndCol   = Color(0x000000_70)
+    private val shapeRenderer = ShapeRenderer()
+    private val gradHeight = 48f
+
     override fun renderUI(batch: SpriteBatch, camera: Camera) {
+        // background fill
+        batch.end()
+        Gdx.gl.glEnable(GL20.GL_BLEND) // ending the batch disables blend
+
+        val gradTopStart = (Terrarum.HEIGHT - internalHeight).div(2).toFloat()
+        val gradBottomEnd = Terrarum.HEIGHT - gradTopStart
+
+        shapeRenderer.inUse {
+            shapeRenderer.rect(0f, gradTopStart, Terrarum.WIDTH.toFloat(), gradHeight, gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradEndCol, gradEndCol)
+            shapeRenderer.rect(0f, gradBottomEnd, Terrarum.WIDTH.toFloat(), -gradHeight, gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradEndCol, gradEndCol)
+
+            shapeRenderer.rect(0f, gradTopStart + gradHeight, Terrarum.WIDTH.toFloat(), internalHeight - (2 * gradHeight), gradEndCol, gradEndCol, gradEndCol, gradEndCol)
+
+            shapeRenderer.rect(0f, 0f, Terrarum.WIDTH.toFloat(), gradTopStart, gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradStartCol)
+            shapeRenderer.rect(0f, Terrarum.HEIGHT.toFloat(), Terrarum.WIDTH.toFloat(), -(Terrarum.HEIGHT.toFloat() - gradBottomEnd), gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradStartCol, gradStartCol)
+        }
+
+
+        batch.begin()
+
+        // UI items
         catBar.render(batch, camera)
         itemList?.render(batch, camera)
         equipped?.render(batch, camera)
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryDynamicList.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryDynamicList.kt
index cabb65e21..a1a2e3fd4 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryDynamicList.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryDynamicList.kt
@@ -82,8 +82,8 @@ class UIItemInventoryDynamicList(
                 itemImage = null,
                 mouseoverBackCol = Color(0x282828_ff),
                 mouseoverBackBlendMode = BlendMode.SCREEN,
-                backCol = Color(0xd4d4d4_ff.toInt()),
-                backBlendMode = BlendMode.MULTIPLY,
+                backCol = Color(0x303030_58),
+                backBlendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL,
                 drawBackOnNull = true,
                 inactiveTextCol = defaultTextColour
         ) })
@@ -98,8 +98,8 @@ class UIItemInventoryDynamicList(
                 itemImage = null,
                 mouseoverBackCol = Color(0x282828_ff),
                 mouseoverBackBlendMode = BlendMode.SCREEN,
-                backCol = Color(0xd4d4d4_ff.toInt()),
-                backBlendMode = BlendMode.MULTIPLY,
+                backCol = Color(0x303030_58),
+                backBlendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL,
                 drawBackOnNull = true,
                 inactiveTextCol = defaultTextColour
         )
diff --git a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryEquippedView.kt b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryEquippedView.kt
index a778c9867..8a8b475ab 100644
--- a/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryEquippedView.kt
+++ b/src/net/torvald/terrarum/ui/UIItemInventoryEquippedView.kt
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class UIItemInventoryEquippedView(
     lateinit var inventorySortList: Array<GameItem?>
     private var rebuildList = true
     
-    val spriteViewBackCol = Color(0xd4d4d4_ff.toInt())
+    val spriteViewBackCol: Color; get() = Color(0x303030_58.toInt())//Color(0xd4d4d4_ff.toInt())
 
     private val itemGrid = Array<UIItemInventoryCellBase>(
             2 * 5, {
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ class UIItemInventoryEquippedView(
                 itemImage = null,
                 mouseoverBackCol = Color(0x282828_ff),
                 mouseoverBackBlendMode = BlendMode.SCREEN,
-                backCol = Color(0xd4d4d4_ff.toInt()),
-                backBlendMode = BlendMode.MULTIPLY,
+                backCol = Color(0x303030_58),
+                backBlendMode = BlendMode.NORMAL,
                 drawBackOnNull = true
         )
     }
@@ -65,6 +65,7 @@ class UIItemInventoryEquippedView(
 
     override fun render(batch: SpriteBatch, camera: Camera) {
         // sprite background
+        blendNormal()
         batch.color = spriteViewBackCol
         batch.fillRect(
                 posX.toFloat(), posY.toFloat(),
@@ -94,8 +95,7 @@ class UIItemInventoryEquippedView(
         
         rebuildList = false
 
-        // TODO sort if needed
-
+        // sort by equip position
 
         // fill the grid from fastest index, make no gap in-between of slots
         var listPushCnt = 0
diff --git a/work_files/UI/inventory_nouveau_2.psd b/work_files/UI/inventory_nouveau_2.psd
index f43a06640..91db2549b 100644
--- a/work_files/UI/inventory_nouveau_2.psd
+++ b/work_files/UI/inventory_nouveau_2.psd
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 version https://git-lfs.github.com/spec/v1
-oid sha256:599e04f02c2f046a6c84c26c6778d90616c1c0473ce1a2b2c9af9142bc161ae6
-size 3049902
+oid sha256:a973d3df1f8b36547e9bffc7d19881c6ff5869db77cf79c2275b616bef00d358
+size 3104905