diff --git a/packages/runtime-tests/integration/components/background-color.test.tsx b/packages/runtime-tests/integration/components/background-color.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3ba8a6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/runtime-tests/integration/components/background-color.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+import chalk from "chalk";
+import { afterEach, beforeEach, expect, test } from "vite-plus/test";
+import { render } from "@vue-tui/testing";
+import { Box, Text } from "@vue-tui/runtime";
+
+const BG_BLUE = "\x1b[44m";
+
+let prevLevel: typeof chalk.level;
+beforeEach(() => {
+  prevLevel = chalk.level;
+  chalk.level = 1;
+});
+afterEach(() => {
+  chalk.level = prevLevel;
+});
+
+test("Box backgroundColor produces ANSI background codes", async () => {
+  const { frames } = await render(
+    () => <Box backgroundColor="blue" width={5} height={1} />,
+    { columns: 10 },
+  );
+  expect(frames.at(-1)).toContain(BG_BLUE);
+});
+
+test("Box backgroundColor survives border rendering", async () => {
+  const { frames } = await render(
+    () => <Box backgroundColor="blue" borderStyle="single" width={6} height={3} />,
+    { columns: 10 },
+  );
+  const raw = frames.at(-1)!;
+  expect(raw).toContain(BG_BLUE);
+  expect(raw).toContain("┌");
+});
+
+test("child Text inherits backgroundColor from parent Box", async () => {
+  const { frames } = await render(
+    () => (
+      <Box backgroundColor="blue" width={10} height={1}>
+        <Text>hello</Text>
+      </Box>
+    ),
+    { columns: 20 },
+  );
+  const raw = frames.at(-1)!;
+  expect(raw).toContain("hello");
+  expect(raw).toContain(BG_BLUE);
+});
diff --git a/packages/runtime-tests/package.json b/packages/runtime-tests/package.json
index a712add..e8bad91 100644
--- a/packages/runtime-tests/package.json
+++ b/packages/runtime-tests/package.json
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
     "@vitejs/plugin-vue-jsx": "catalog:",
     "@vue-tui/runtime": "workspace:*",
     "@vue-tui/testing": "workspace:*",
+    "chalk": "catalog:",
     "typescript": "^6.0.3",
     "vite-plus": "^0.1.20",
     "vue": "^3.4.0"
diff --git a/packages/runtime/src/paint/paint.ts b/packages/runtime/src/paint/paint.ts
index 9e0d820..8978f6f 100644
--- a/packages/runtime/src/paint/paint.ts
+++ b/packages/runtime/src/paint/paint.ts
@@ -91,7 +91,10 @@ function placeLine(grid: string[][], x: number, y: number, line: string): void {
 }
 
 function renderTextWithInlineStyles(node: TuiText | TuiVirtualText, acc: TextProps = {}): string {
-  const merged: TextProps = { ...acc, ...node.props };
+  const defined = Object.fromEntries(
+    Object.entries(node.props).filter(([, v]) => v !== undefined),
+  );
+  const merged: TextProps = { ...acc, ...defined };
   let out = "";
   for (const child of node.children) {
     if (child.type === "text-leaf") {
@@ -120,28 +123,31 @@ function drawBorder(
   if (!chars) return;
   if (w < 2 || h < 2) return;
 
-  // Per-edge toggles default to true when borderStyle is set.
   const top = props["borderTop"] !== false;
   const bottom = props["borderBottom"] !== false;
   const left = props["borderLeft"] !== false;
   const right = props["borderRight"] !== false;
 
-  // Corners require both adjacent edges to be enabled; otherwise the
-  // adjacent edge character is used as a "stub" so the visible edge still
-  // terminates cleanly.
+  const borderColor = props["borderColor"] as string | undefined;
+  const bgColor = props["backgroundColor"] as string | undefined;
+  const colorProps: TextProps = {};
+  if (borderColor) colorProps.color = borderColor;
+  if (bgColor) colorProps.backgroundColor = bgColor;
+  const colorize = (s: string) => (borderColor || bgColor ? applyChalk(s, colorProps) : s);
+
   if (top) {
     const tl = left ? chars.topLeft : chars.top;
     const tr = right ? chars.topRight : chars.top;
-    output.write(x, y, [tl + chars.top.repeat(w - 2) + tr], transformers);
+    output.write(x, y, [colorize(tl + chars.top.repeat(w - 2) + tr)], transformers);
   }
   if (bottom) {
     const bl = left ? chars.bottomLeft : chars.bottom;
     const br = right ? chars.bottomRight : chars.bottom;
-    output.write(x, y + h - 1, [bl + chars.bottom.repeat(w - 2) + br], transformers);
+    output.write(x, y + h - 1, [colorize(bl + chars.bottom.repeat(w - 2) + br)], transformers);
   }
   for (let i = 1; i < h - 1; i++) {
-    if (left) output.write(x, y + i, [chars.left], transformers);
-    if (right) output.write(x + w - 1, y + i, [chars.right], transformers);
+    if (left) output.write(x, y + i, [colorize(chars.left)], transformers);
+    if (right) output.write(x + w - 1, y + i, [colorize(chars.right)], transformers);
   }
 }
 
@@ -175,6 +181,7 @@ function paintNode(
   x0: number,
   y0: number,
   transformers: Transformer[],
+  inheritedBg?: string,
 ): void {
   switch (node.type) {
     case "root": {
@@ -187,18 +194,20 @@ function paintNode(
       const y = y0 + layout.top;
       const w = Math.max(0, Math.floor(layout.width));
       const h = Math.max(0, Math.floor(layout.height));
+      const bg = (node.props["backgroundColor"] as string | undefined) ?? inheritedBg;
       if (node.props["backgroundColor"]) {
         fillBackground(output, x, y, w, h, node.props["backgroundColor"], transformers);
       }
       if (node.props["borderStyle"]) {
         drawBorder(output, x, y, w, h, node.props, transformers);
       }
-      for (const child of node.children) paintNode(child, output, x, y, transformers);
+      for (const child of node.children) paintNode(child, output, x, y, transformers, bg);
       return;
     }
     case "text": {
       const layout = node.yoga.getComputedLayout();
-      const text = renderTextWithInlineStyles(node);
+      const bgProps: TextProps = inheritedBg ? { backgroundColor: inheritedBg } : {};
+      const text = renderTextWithInlineStyles(node, bgProps);
       const wrapped = wrapText(
         text,
         Math.max(1, Math.floor(layout.width)),
@@ -214,7 +223,7 @@ function paintNode(
     }
     case "transform": {
       const next = [...transformers, node.transform];
-      for (const child of node.children) paintNode(child, output, x0, y0, next);
+      for (const child of node.children) paintNode(child, output, x0, y0, next, inheritedBg);
       return;
     }
     case "virtual-text":
diff --git a/pnpm-lock.yaml b/pnpm-lock.yaml
index 3322df2..036235b 100644
--- a/pnpm-lock.yaml
+++ b/pnpm-lock.yaml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ catalogs:
     '@vitejs/plugin-vue-jsx':
       specifier: ^5.1.5
       version: 5.1.5
+    chalk:
+      specifier: ^5.6.2
+      version: 5.6.2
     vite-plus:
       specifier: latest
       version: 0.1.22
@@ -186,6 +189,9 @@ importers:
       '@vue-tui/testing':
         specifier: workspace:*
         version: link:../testing
+      chalk:
+        specifier: 'catalog:'
+        version: 5.6.2
       typescript:
         specifier: ^6.0.3
         version: 6.0.3