Redesign Redwoods theme — unclear visual identity

[gregpriday]

Summary

The Redwoods theme is a dark theme with deep auburn-brown surfaces. While not broken, it lacks a clear visual identity — it reads as "generic dark brown" and doesn't evoke its namesake's character. It also sits uncomfortably close to Namib in feel and is worth rethinking to give each theme a distinct personality.

Problem Statement

Redwoods uses surfaces (#1A1210 canvas, #120C0A sidebar, #1E1512 panel) that are very dark auburn-brown, nearly indistinguishable from Namib's surfaces at a glance. The design intent is presumably inspired by California's coastal redwood forests: deep shadow, rich reddish-brown bark, filtered green light. But the current tokens don't deliver that picture:

• The surface-to-sidebar contrast is minimal (#1A1210 vs #120C0A) — both are so dark that the sidebar barely separates from the canvas.
• text-primary (#D4C5B8) is a warm off-white that works but reads as "dusty beige" rather than giving the cool filtered-light-under-canopy feel the theme could have.
• Terminal colors are muted and unsaturated: terminal-green (#6D7A4D) is an olive-grey, terminal-red (#A65142) is a dull clay. This is coherent for a low-contrast aesthetic but makes the terminal feel dim and tired.
• syntax-comment (#4E6A59) is a dark muted green — nearly invisible at typical terminal contrast levels.
• The accent #3F9366 (Canopy green) is fine but has no relationship to the other hues in the palette. There's no "narrative" — the warm bark tones and the cool green accent don't dialogue.
• The theme is too similar to Namib in overall impression: both are dark warm-brown themes. They need differentiation.

Relevant code:

• shared/theme/themes.ts#L684-L746 — current Redwoods token definitions
• shared/theme/themes.ts#L20-L112 — createCanopyTokens derivation context

Desired Behavior

Redwoods should feel like standing inside a coastal redwood grove: deep shadow with rich reddish-brown and russet tones, shafts of cool grey-green light filtering through the canopy. It should be:

• Distinguishable at a glance from Namib (arid/sandy) and Highlands (warm Scottish moorland).
• Rich in the russet-to-auburn surface range — more textured and saturated than Namib's sandy approach.
• Terminal colors that lean into filtered forest light: muted greens, deep browns, and sharp accent yellows for warnings.
• Sidebar and panel separation should be clear — the deep shadow vs. slightly lighter surfaces should read as meaningful depth.

Verification Workflow

1. Apply the theme in E2E: await setAppTheme(window, "redwoods").
2. Capture a full-page screenshot.
3. Measure: sidebar vs. canvas contrast, panel vs. grid, toolbar text readability.
4. AI visual evaluation: does the theme evoke redwood forest? Is it distinct from Namib and Highlands? Are surfaces differentiated?
5. Iterate token values; confirm the paired terminal scheme (from PR feat(terminal): match terminal color scheme to app theme automatically #3345) still reads cohesively.
6. npm run check — zero new errors.

Acceptance Criteria

• Sidebar and canvas surfaces are visually distinct — the sidebar clearly recedes or separates from the main canvas.
• The theme's character (russet bark, forest shadow, cool green light) is recognizable and distinct from Namib and Highlands in a side-by-side screenshot comparison.
• Terminal colors meet minimum legibility contrast on the Redwoods canvas background.
• syntax-comment is legible — contrast ratio against canvas ≥ 3:1.
• All E2E tests pass; no regressions in dark theme contrast checks.

Edge Cases & Risks

• border-default is set to #2B1D19 which is identical to surface-panel-elevated — this means borders and elevated panels have the same token value, making them visually indistinguishable. The redesign should address this.
• The terminal palette matching from PR feat(terminal): match terminal color scheme to app theme automatically #3345 maps Redwoods to a specific scheme — check pairing cohesion after any significant token changes.

[gregpriday]

Terminal color scheme — review as part of redesign

The APP_THEME_TERMINAL_SCHEME_MAP currently maps redwoods → canopy-ember (Canopy Ember). As part of this theme redesign, review whether the terminal color scheme still pairs well with the updated app surfaces:

1. Evaluate the current pairing — after updating the surface/accent tokens, check whether Canopy Ember still feels cohesive. If the surface palette shifts significantly, the terminal may look disconnected.
2. Research alternatives — search for well-known open-source terminal color schemes whose character matches the redesigned theme. Evaluate candidates for ANSI color legibility against the new surface background, not just aesthetic similarity.
3. Consider a bespoke scheme — if no existing scheme is a tight fit, create a dedicated one derived from the redesigned app tokens (like we did for Daintree via getTerminalThemeFromAppScheme). This gives the tightest visual integration.
4. Adapt rather than copy — if borrowing an open-source palette, adjust selection background, cursor, and bright variants so they harmonize with the app's surface/accent tokens.

Update APP_THEME_TERMINAL_SCHEME_MAP in src/config/terminalColorSchemes.ts and add any new scheme to the BUILT_IN_SCHEMES array. Update the test count in src/config/__tests__/terminalColorSchemes.test.ts if adding a new scheme.