diff --git a/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.component.jsx b/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.component.jsx
index 16e338d5e..e756d272c 100644
--- a/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.component.jsx
+++ b/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.component.jsx
@@ -1,59 +1,137 @@
-import { Col, Divider, Row } from "antd";
+import { Card, Col, Row } from "antd";
+import { Children, isValidElement } from "react";
 import "./layout-form-row.styles.scss";
 
-export default function LayoutFormRow({ header, children, grow = false, noDivider = false, ...restProps }) {
-  const DividerHeader = () =>
-    !noDivider && (
-      <Divider titlePlacement="left" orientation="horizontal" style={{ marginTop: ".8rem" }}>
-        {header}
-      </Divider>
-    );
+export default function LayoutFormRow({
+  header,
+  children,
+  grow = false,
+  noDivider = false,
+  gutter = [16, 16],
+  rowProps,
 
-  if (!children.length) {
-    //We have only one element. It's going to get the whole thing.
+  // Optional overrides if you ever need per-section customization
+  surface = true,
+  surfaceBg,
+  surfaceHeaderBg,
+
+  ...cardProps
+}) {
+  const items = Children.toArray(children).filter(Boolean);
+  if (items.length === 0) return null;
+
+  const title = !noDivider && header ? header : undefined;
+
+  const bg = surfaceBg ?? (surface ? "var(--imex-form-surface)" : undefined);
+  const headBg = surfaceHeaderBg ?? (surface ? "var(--imex-form-surface-head)" : undefined);
+
+  const mergedStyles = mergeSemanticStyles(
+    {
+      header: {
+        paddingInline: 16,
+        background: headBg
+      },
+      body: {
+        padding: 16,
+        background: bg
+      }
+    },
+    cardProps.styles
+  );
+
+  const baseCardStyle = {
+    marginBottom: ".8rem",
+    ...(bg ? { background: bg } : null), // ensures the “circled area” is tinted
+    ...cardProps.style
+  };
+
+  // single child => just render it
+  if (items.length === 1) {
     return (
-      <div className="imex-form-row" {...restProps} style={{ marginBottom: ".8rem", ...restProps.style }}>
-        <DividerHeader />
-        {children}
-      </div>
+      <Card
+        {...cardProps}
+        title={cardProps.title ?? title}
+        size={cardProps.size ?? "small"}
+        variant={cardProps.variant ?? "outlined"}
+        className={["imex-form-row", cardProps.className].filter(Boolean).join(" ")}
+        style={baseCardStyle}
+        styles={mergedStyles}
+      >
+        {items[0]}
+      </Card>
     );
   }
-  const rowGutter = { gutter: [16, 16] };
 
-  const colSpan = (spanOverride) => {
-    if (spanOverride) return { span: spanOverride };
-    return {
-      xs: {
-        span: !grow ? 24 : Math.max(12, 24 / children.length)
-      },
-      sm: {
-        span: !grow ? 12 : Math.max(12, 24 / children.length)
-      },
-      md: {
-        span: !grow ? 8 : Math.max(8, 24 / children.length)
-      },
-      lg: {
-        span: !grow ? 6 : Math.max(6, 24 / children.length)
-      },
-      xl: {
-        span: !grow ? 4 : Math.max(4, 24 / children.length)
-      }
-    };
+  const count = items.length;
+  const spanFor = (min) => Math.max(min, Math.floor(24 / count));
+
+  // Mobile-first: stack on xs
+  const baseCol = {
+    xs: { span: 24 },
+    sm: { span: grow ? spanFor(12) : 12 },
+    md: { span: grow ? spanFor(8) : 8 },
+    lg: { span: grow ? spanFor(6) : 6 },
+    xl: { span: grow ? spanFor(4) : 4 },
+    xxl: { span: grow ? spanFor(4) : 4 }
   };
-  //{header ? <Typography.Title level={4}>{header}</Typography.Title> : null}
+
+  const getColPropsForChild = (child) => {
+    if (!isValidElement(child)) return baseCol;
+
+    // Back-compat with old pattern: child.props.span can override Col sizing
+    const spanOverride = child.props?.span;
+    if (typeof spanOverride === "number") return { span: spanOverride };
+    if (spanOverride && typeof spanOverride === "object") return spanOverride;
+
+    // Optional explicit override: <Field col={{ md:{span:12}, ... }} />
+    const colOverride = child.props?.col;
+    if (colOverride && typeof colOverride === "object") {
+      return { ...baseCol, ...colOverride };
+    }
+
+    return baseCol;
+  };
+
   return (
-    <div className="imex-form-row" {...restProps} style={{ marginBottom: ".8rem", ...restProps.style }}>
-      <DividerHeader />
-      <Row {...rowGutter}>
-        {children.map(
-          (c, idx) =>
-            c && (
-              <Col key={idx} {...colSpan(c && c.props && c.props.span)}>
-                {c}
-              </Col>
-            )
-        )}
+    <Card
+      {...cardProps}
+      title={cardProps.title ?? title}
+      size={cardProps.size ?? "small"}
+      variant={cardProps.variant ?? "outlined"}
+      className={["imex-form-row", cardProps.className].filter(Boolean).join(" ")}
+      style={baseCardStyle}
+      styles={mergedStyles}
+    >
+      <Row gutter={gutter} wrap {...rowProps}>
+        {items.map((child, idx) => (
+          <Col key={child?.key ?? idx} {...getColPropsForChild(child)}>
+            {child}
+          </Col>
+        ))}
       </Row>
-    </div>
+    </Card>
   );
 }
+
+function mergeSemanticStyles(defaults, userStyles) {
+  if (!userStyles) return defaults;
+
+  if (typeof userStyles === "function") {
+    return (info) => {
+      const computed = userStyles(info) || {};
+      return {
+        ...defaults,
+        ...computed,
+        header: { ...defaults.header, ...(computed.header || {}) },
+        body: { ...defaults.body, ...(computed.body || {}) }
+      };
+    };
+  }
+
+  return {
+    ...defaults,
+    ...userStyles,
+    header: { ...defaults.header, ...(userStyles.header || {}) },
+    body: { ...defaults.body, ...(userStyles.body || {}) }
+  };
+}
diff --git a/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.styles.scss b/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.styles.scss
index faf24ccf1..4cedb9b79 100644
--- a/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.styles.scss
+++ b/client/src/components/layout-form-row/layout-form-row.styles.scss
@@ -1,20 +1,64 @@
-//Override Antd Row margin to save space on forms.
+/* layout-form-row.styles.scss */
+
+/**
+ * Surface tokens (light/dark)
+ * - --imex-form-surface: the main section background (circled area)
+ * - --imex-form-surface-head: slightly different strip for the Card header
+ * - --imex-form-surface-border: border color for the card
+ *
+ * Update the dark selector(s) to match whatever you use (body class, data-theme, etc).
+ */
+
+:root {
+  --imex-form-surface: #fafafa; /* subtle contrast vs white page */
+  --imex-form-surface-head: #f5f5f5; /* header strip */
+  --imex-form-surface-border: #d9d9d9; /* matches AntD-ish border */
+}
+
+/* Pick the selector that matches your app and remove the rest */
+html[data-theme="dark"] {
+  --imex-form-surface: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.01); /* subtle lift off page bg */
+  --imex-form-surface-head: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.06); /* slightly stronger for header strip */
+  --imex-form-surface-border: rgba(5, 5, 5, 0.12);
+}
+
 .imex-form-row {
-  .ant-row {
-    margin-bottom: 0rem;
+  width: 100%;
+  
+  /* Match old Divider title typography */
+  .ant-card-head-title {
+    font-weight: 500;
+    font-size: var(--ant-font-size-lg);
+    line-height: 1.2; /* optional, makes it feel like a section header */
+  }
 
-    .ant-form-item-label {
-      padding: 0rem;
+  /* Make the whole section read as its own surface */
+  &.ant-card {
+    background: var(--imex-form-surface);
+    border-color: var(--imex-form-surface-border);
+  }
+
+  .ant-card-head {
+    background: var(--imex-form-surface-head);
+    border-bottom-color: var(--imex-form-surface-border);
+  }
+
+  .ant-card-body {
+    background: var(--imex-form-surface);
+  }
+
+  /* Optional: slightly tighter on phones */
+  @media (max-width: 575px) {
+    .ant-card-head {
+      padding-inline: 12px;
     }
-
-    label {
-      white-space: nowrap;
-      overflow: hidden;
-      text-overflow: ellipsis;
-      width: 100%;
-      display: inline-block;
-      padding: 0rem;
-      margin: 0rem;
+    .ant-card-body {
+      padding: 12px;
     }
   }
+
+  /* Common form nicety */
+  .ant-col > * {
+    width: 100%;
+  }
 }