diff --git a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
index 10b47c9cf9eb966caefe2ad6c9bef00c5b01fcb1..bb52a940b1ce81ae3a2b815cc094c818d479c793 100644
--- a/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
+++ b/src/libs/utils/stylehelper.h
@@ -61,6 +61,9 @@ public:
     static QColor buttonTextColor() { return QColor(0x4c4c4c); }
     static QColor mergedColors(const QColor &colorA, const QColor &colorB, int factor = 50);
 
+    static QColor sidebarHighlight() { return QColor(255, 255, 255, 40); }
+    static QColor sidebarShadow() { return QColor(0, 0, 0, 40); }
+
     // Sets the base color and makes sure all top level widgets are updated
     static void setBaseColor(const QColor &color);
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancyactionbar.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancyactionbar.cpp
index c62e695d88d47d96fedb0f86d40ce22f093754e9..498773e9d58c165b477be8bc26b0e80f4d81acbc 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancyactionbar.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancyactionbar.cpp
@@ -198,8 +198,8 @@ void FancyActionBar::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event)
 {
     QPainter painter(this);
     Q_UNUSED(event)
-    QColor light = QColor(255, 255, 255, 40);
-    QColor dark = QColor(0, 0, 0, 60);
+    QColor light = Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarHighlight();
+    QColor dark = Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarShadow();
     painter.setPen(dark);
     painter.drawLine(rect().topLeft(), rect().topRight());
     painter.setPen(light);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
index e63dd9e1ed1db49d6388def7c491a20e1d450c2e..0d73ad604ba192b593066b5f0c3a6735f61db9cf 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/fancytabwidget.cpp
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ void FancyTab::fadeIn()
 {
     QPropertyAnimation *animation;
     animation = new QPropertyAnimation(this, "fader");
-    animation->setDuration(160);
-    animation->setEndValue(25);
+    animation->setDuration(90);
+    animation->setEndValue(50);
     animation->start(QAbstractAnimation::DeleteWhenStopped);
 }
 
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ void FancyTab::fadeOut()
 {
     QPropertyAnimation *animation;
     animation = new QPropertyAnimation(this, "fader");
-    animation->setDuration(225);
+    animation->setDuration(185);
     animation->setEndValue(0);
     animation->start(QAbstractAnimation::DeleteWhenStopped);
 }
@@ -451,7 +451,7 @@ void FancyTabWidget::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *event)
     painter.setPen(Utils::StyleHelper::borderColor());
     painter.drawLine(rect.topRight(), rect.bottomRight());
 
-    QColor light = QColor(255, 255, 255, 40);
+    QColor light = Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarHighlight();
     painter.setPen(light);
     painter.drawLine(rect.bottomLeft(), rect.bottomRight());
     setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 1);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/manhattanstyle.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/manhattanstyle.cpp
index 95f0a4cdb8d8bb34f5e8057ecdabfbc073093767..67ba51ade4557e7c8f03820cf1bd295d02fea44d 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/manhattanstyle.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/manhattanstyle.cpp
@@ -836,7 +836,7 @@ void ManhattanStyle::drawControl(ControlElement element, const QStyleOption *opt
                 // Note: This is a hack to determine if the
                 // toolbar should draw the top or bottom outline
                 // (needed for the find toolbar for instance)
-                QColor lighter(255, 255, 255, 40);
+                QColor lighter(Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarHighlight());
                 if (widget && widget->property("topBorder").toBool()) {
                     painter->drawLine(rect.topLeft(), rect.topRight());
                     painter->setPen(lighter);
diff --git a/src/plugins/coreplugin/progressmanager/progresspie.cpp b/src/plugins/coreplugin/progressmanager/progresspie.cpp
index 59929d437fe47e0bcc464047c7810549582a07f0..45aa71eac84fe5a2271e2fc2e7dce62564bbae64 100644
--- a/src/plugins/coreplugin/progressmanager/progresspie.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/coreplugin/progressmanager/progresspie.cpp
@@ -146,10 +146,10 @@ void ProgressBar::paintEvent(QPaintEvent *)
 
     // Draw separator
     int h = fm.height();
-    p.setPen(QColor(0, 0, 0, 70));
+    p.setPen(Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarShadow());
     p.drawLine(0,0, size().width(), 0);
 
-    p.setPen(QColor(255, 255, 255, 70));
+    p.setPen(Utils::StyleHelper::sidebarHighlight());
     p.drawLine(0, 1, size().width(), 1);
 
     QRect textRect = rect().adjusted(0, 0, -1, 0);
diff --git a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildprogress.cpp b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildprogress.cpp
index 865fad58c15ecccb145afe43c39c90f129a90ea2..9b38cb89f221989ec7f29c3c099b20196eddab90 100644
--- a/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildprogress.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/projectexplorer/buildprogress.cpp
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ BuildProgress::BuildProgress(TaskWindow *taskWindow)
         m_taskWindow(taskWindow)
 {
     QVBoxLayout *layout = new QVBoxLayout;
-    layout->setContentsMargins(8, 2, 0, 2);
+    layout->setContentsMargins(8, 4, 0, 4);
     layout->setSpacing(2);
     setLayout(layout);
     QHBoxLayout *errorLayout = new QHBoxLayout;