diff --git a/chat/static/app.css b/chat/static/app.css
index ec52bc9..97cb0fd 100644
--- a/chat/static/app.css
+++ b/chat/static/app.css
@@ -106,12 +106,227 @@ code { font-family: ui-monospace, "SF Mono", Menlo, monospace; }
 }
 .turn-input { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 8px; padding-top: 12px; border-top: 1px solid #e5e5e5; }
 .turn-input textarea { padding: 8px; font: inherit; border: 1px solid #ccc; border-radius: 3px; resize: vertical; }
-.drawer { position: fixed; top: 0; right: 0; width: 360px; height: 100vh; background: #fff; border-left: 1px solid #e5e5e5; padding: 16px; overflow-y: auto; z-index: 10; }
-.drawer[hidden] { display: none; }
-.drawer-content { display: flex; flex-direction: column; gap: 16px; }
-.drawer-header { display: flex; align-items: center; justify-content: space-between; padding-bottom: 8px; border-bottom: 1px solid #e5e5e5; }
-.drawer-close { border: none; background: transparent; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 24px; padding: 0 4px; cursor: pointer; }
-.drawer-section h3 { margin: 0 0 8px; font-size: 14px; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.5px; color: #666; }
+/* ===========================================================
+   Drawer — director's notebook overlay
+   ===========================================================
+   Editorial popup design: a warm-paper panel floats over an inky
+   blurred backdrop. Single accent serif (Newsreader) at the title,
+   single muted-amber accent for primary interactives, generous
+   spacing, controlled motion.
+
+   Design tokens (scoped to the drawer so the rest of the app stays
+   on its existing palette).
+*/
+.drawer-modal {
+  --paper:           #f6f1e8;   /* warm off-white panel */
+  --paper-edge:      #e7dfce;
+  --ink:             #1a1d29;   /* deep ink-blue */
+  --ink-soft:        #38405a;
+  --ink-faint:       #6c7390;
+  --accent:          #b97e30;   /* muted amber */
+  --accent-soft:     #efd9b1;
+  --rule:            rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.10);
+  --shadow-near:     0 1px 2px rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.08);
+  --shadow-far:      0 32px 64px -24px rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.45),
+                     0 12px 24px -12px rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.25);
+  --serif:           "Newsreader", "Iowan Old Style", Georgia, serif;
+  --duration:        180ms;
+  --ease:            cubic-bezier(0.22, 0.61, 0.36, 1);
+
+  position: fixed;
+  inset: 0;
+  z-index: 100;
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  padding: clamp(16px, 4vw, 48px);
+  /* Open/close transitions live here so the backdrop and panel
+     can fade together; .is-open promotes both to their visible
+     end-states. */
+  opacity: 0;
+  transition: opacity var(--duration) var(--ease);
+}
+.drawer-modal[hidden] { display: none; }
+.drawer-modal.is-open { opacity: 1; }
+
+.drawer-modal-backdrop {
+  position: absolute;
+  inset: 0;
+  background:
+    radial-gradient(circle at 30% 25%, rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.55), rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.85) 75%);
+  backdrop-filter: blur(6px) saturate(1.05);
+  -webkit-backdrop-filter: blur(6px) saturate(1.05);
+}
+
+/* The chat behind the modal stops scrolling and loses focus
+   entirely. body class set by the JS; resets on close. */
+body.drawer-modal-open { overflow: hidden; }
+
+.drawer-panel {
+  position: relative;
+  width: 100%;
+  max-width: 720px;
+  max-height: min(82vh, 760px);
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  background: var(--paper);
+  border-radius: 6px;
+  box-shadow: var(--shadow-far);
+  /* Subtle warm-paper texture: a single soft inner highlight at the
+     top edge plus a faint vignette toward the bottom. Cheap, no
+     external image. */
+  background-image:
+    linear-gradient(180deg,
+      rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.50) 0%,
+      rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00) 18%,
+      rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.00) 80%,
+      rgba(120, 100, 70, 0.06) 100%);
+  /* A 1px ink rule at the very top, set INSIDE the radius so the
+     corners stay clean. ::before serves as a hairline accent. */
+  overflow: hidden;
+  /* Open/close: the backdrop fades; the panel additionally lifts
+     slightly and scales from 98% to 100%. Controlled, no bounce. */
+  transform: translateY(8px) scale(0.98);
+  transition:
+    transform var(--duration) var(--ease),
+    opacity var(--duration) var(--ease);
+  opacity: 0.98;
+}
+.drawer-modal.is-open .drawer-panel {
+  transform: translateY(0) scale(1);
+  opacity: 1;
+}
+.drawer-panel::before {
+  content: "";
+  position: absolute;
+  top: 0; left: 0; right: 0;
+  height: 2px;
+  background: linear-gradient(90deg,
+    transparent 0%, var(--accent) 14%, var(--accent) 86%, transparent 100%);
+  opacity: 0.85;
+}
+
+.drawer-panel-header {
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: baseline;
+  justify-content: space-between;
+  gap: 16px;
+  padding: 22px 28px 14px;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule);
+  flex-shrink: 0;
+}
+.drawer-panel-header h2 {
+  margin: 0;
+  font-family: var(--serif);
+  font-weight: 500;
+  font-size: clamp(22px, 2.4vw, 28px);
+  letter-spacing: -0.01em;
+  color: var(--ink);
+  /* Tiny editorial flourish: lowercase the title so it reads like
+     a column header in a printed broadside. */
+  text-transform: lowercase;
+}
+.drawer-panel-header h2::after {
+  content: "";
+  display: inline-block;
+  width: 6px;
+  height: 6px;
+  margin-left: 10px;
+  border-radius: 50%;
+  background: var(--accent);
+  vertical-align: middle;
+  transform: translateY(-2px);
+}
+
+.drawer-panel-close {
+  appearance: none;
+  background: transparent;
+  border: none;
+  border-radius: 4px;
+  color: var(--ink-soft);
+  font-family: var(--serif);
+  font-size: 28px;
+  line-height: 1;
+  width: 36px;
+  height: 36px;
+  cursor: pointer;
+  transition:
+    background-color var(--duration) var(--ease),
+    color var(--duration) var(--ease),
+    transform var(--duration) var(--ease);
+}
+.drawer-panel-close:hover {
+  background: rgba(26, 29, 41, 0.06);
+  color: var(--ink);
+  transform: rotate(90deg);
+}
+.drawer-panel-close:focus-visible {
+  outline: 2px solid var(--accent);
+  outline-offset: 2px;
+}
+
+.drawer-panel-body {
+  flex: 1 1 auto;
+  min-height: 0;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+  padding: 18px 28px 28px;
+  /* Restrict typography inside the body to the existing app font
+     so the existing drawer markup (forms, lists, buttons rendered
+     by /chats/<id>/drawer) keeps its current density and read-flow.
+     We only re-color a few items so they sit on the warm paper. */
+  color: var(--ink);
+}
+.drawer-panel-body .drawer-panel-loading {
+  font-family: var(--serif);
+  font-style: italic;
+  color: var(--ink-faint);
+}
+
+/* Scoped overrides for the drawer-content the server renders into
+   .drawer-panel-body. Keeps the existing class names working but
+   re-tunes them for the warm-paper context. */
+.drawer-panel-body .drawer-section {
+  padding: 14px 0;
+  border-bottom: 1px solid var(--rule);
+}
+.drawer-panel-body .drawer-section:last-child { border-bottom: none; }
+.drawer-panel-body .drawer-section h3 {
+  margin: 0 0 10px;
+  font-family: var(--serif);
+  font-weight: 500;
+  font-size: 13px;
+  letter-spacing: 0.14em;
+  text-transform: uppercase;
+  color: var(--accent);
+}
+.drawer-panel-body .activity-row,
+.drawer-panel-body .edge-row { margin-bottom: 12px; }
+.drawer-panel-body .activity-row strong,
+.drawer-panel-body .edge-row strong { display: block; color: var(--ink); }
+.drawer-panel-body .muted { color: var(--ink-faint); }
+.drawer-panel-body button,
+.drawer-panel-body .btn {
+  background: var(--ink);
+  border: 1px solid var(--ink);
+  color: var(--paper);
+  border-radius: 3px;
+}
+.drawer-panel-body button:hover,
+.drawer-panel-body .btn:hover {
+  background: var(--accent);
+  border-color: var(--accent);
+  color: var(--ink);
+}
+
+/* Respect reduced-motion preference: no scale, no rotate, no
+   blur transition — just the opacity fade. */
+@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+  .drawer-modal,
+  .drawer-panel,
+  .drawer-panel-close { transition-duration: 0ms; }
+  .drawer-panel { transform: none; }
+  .drawer-panel-close:hover { transform: none; }
+}
 .activity-row, .edge-row { margin-bottom: 12px; }
 .activity-row strong, .edge-row strong { display: block; }
 .memory-list { list-style: none; padding: 0; margin: 0; }
diff --git a/chat/templates/base.html b/chat/templates/base.html
index 2e6e7e3..26eb8c7 100644
--- a/chat/templates/base.html
+++ b/chat/templates/base.html
@@ -5,6 +5,13 @@
     <meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
     <title>{% block title %}chat{% endblock %}</title>
     <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/app.css">
+    <!-- Newsreader: refined editorial serif for accent typography
+         (drawer modal title, etc.). Body stays system-ui for read-
+         flow legibility. Subset to the weight we use to keep the
+         payload tiny. -->
+    <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com">
+    <link rel="preconnect" href="https://fonts.gstatic.com" crossorigin>
+    <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Newsreader:opsz,wght@6..72,400;6..72,500&display=swap">
     <script src="https://unpkg.com/htmx.org@1.9.12" defer></script>
     <!-- htmx 1.x bundles its SSE extension at /dist/ext/sse.js. The
          standalone htmx-ext-sse@2.x package is for htmx 2.x and is
diff --git a/chat/templates/chat.html b/chat/templates/chat.html
index 977d849..2d4ef1f 100644
--- a/chat/templates/chat.html
+++ b/chat/templates/chat.html
@@ -7,7 +7,9 @@
   <header class="chat-header">
     <h1>{{ host_bot.name }}</h1>
     <div class="chat-meta muted">{{ chat.time }}</div>
-    <button class="drawer-toggle" type="button" aria-controls="drawer" aria-expanded="false">Drawer</button>
+    <button class="drawer-toggle" type="button"
+            aria-controls="drawer-modal" aria-expanded="false"
+            aria-haspopup="dialog">Drawer</button>
   </header>
 
   <section class="timeline" id="timeline"
@@ -30,21 +32,99 @@
     <button type="submit">Send</button>
   </form>
 
-  <aside class="drawer" id="drawer" hidden
-         hx-get="/chats/{{ chat.id }}/drawer"
-         hx-trigger="revealed"
-         hx-swap="innerHTML">
-    <p class="muted">Loading drawer&hellip;</p>
-  </aside>
 </div>
+
+<!-- Drawer modal — director's notebook overlay.
+     Sits outside .chat-shell so its position:fixed backdrop covers the
+     whole viewport. The panel still pulls its inner HTML from
+     /chats/<id>/drawer via HTMX; trigger is a custom 'drawer-open'
+     event that the open/close script dispatches each time the modal
+     opens, so the content refreshes on every open. -->
+<div class="drawer-modal" id="drawer-modal" hidden
+     role="dialog"
+     aria-modal="true"
+     aria-labelledby="drawer-modal-title">
+  <div class="drawer-modal-backdrop" data-drawer-close></div>
+  <article class="drawer-panel">
+    <header class="drawer-panel-header">
+      <h2 id="drawer-modal-title">Drawer</h2>
+      <button class="drawer-panel-close" type="button"
+              data-drawer-close
+              aria-label="Close drawer">×</button>
+    </header>
+    <div class="drawer-panel-body" id="drawer"
+         hx-get="/chats/{{ chat.id }}/drawer"
+         hx-trigger="drawer-open from:body"
+         hx-swap="innerHTML">
+      <p class="muted drawer-panel-loading">Loading&hellip;</p>
+    </div>
+  </article>
+</div>
+
 <script>
-document.querySelector('.drawer-toggle')?.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
-  const drawer = document.getElementById('drawer');
-  const isHidden = drawer.hasAttribute('hidden');
-  if (isHidden) drawer.removeAttribute('hidden');
-  else drawer.setAttribute('hidden', '');
-  e.target.setAttribute('aria-expanded', String(isHidden));
-});
+// Drawer modal — open/close + focus management. Re-fetches content
+// from the server on every open by dispatching a 'drawer-open' event
+// that the panel's hx-trigger picks up.
+(function () {
+  const modal = document.getElementById('drawer-modal');
+  const toggle = document.querySelector('.drawer-toggle');
+  if (!modal || !toggle) return;
+  const closeButton = modal.querySelector('.drawer-panel-close');
+  const panel = modal.querySelector('.drawer-panel');
+
+  let lastFocus = null;
+
+  function open() {
+    if (!modal.hasAttribute('hidden')) return;
+    lastFocus = document.activeElement;
+    modal.removeAttribute('hidden');
+    // Force reflow so the .is-open class triggers the transition.
+    void modal.offsetWidth;
+    modal.classList.add('is-open');
+    toggle.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'true');
+    document.body.classList.add('drawer-modal-open');
+    // Re-fetch drawer content via the panel's hx-trigger.
+    document.body.dispatchEvent(new CustomEvent('drawer-open'));
+    // Focus the close button so Escape / Enter both work
+    // immediately and screen readers announce the dialog.
+    requestAnimationFrame(() => closeButton.focus());
+  }
+
+  function close() {
+    if (modal.hasAttribute('hidden')) return;
+    modal.classList.remove('is-open');
+    toggle.setAttribute('aria-expanded', 'false');
+    document.body.classList.remove('drawer-modal-open');
+    // Wait for the fade-out before fully hiding so the transition
+    // can play. Match the CSS duration.
+    setTimeout(() => {
+      modal.setAttribute('hidden', '');
+      if (lastFocus && typeof lastFocus.focus === 'function') {
+        lastFocus.focus();
+      }
+    }, 180);
+  }
+
+  toggle.addEventListener('click', open);
+
+  // Backdrop click closes; clicks INSIDE the panel must not bubble
+  // up and trip the backdrop handler.
+  modal.addEventListener('click', (e) => {
+    const target = e.target;
+    if (target instanceof HTMLElement && target.hasAttribute('data-drawer-close')) {
+      close();
+    }
+  });
+  panel.addEventListener('click', (e) => e.stopPropagation());
+
+  // Escape closes only when the modal is open.
+  document.addEventListener('keydown', (e) => {
+    if (e.key === 'Escape' && !modal.hasAttribute('hidden')) {
+      e.preventDefault();
+      close();
+    }
+  });
+})();
 </script>
 <script>
 // Streaming UX (T34): typing indicator, Stop button, send-lock,