diff --git a/backend/internal/web/handlers_tablos_test.go b/backend/internal/web/handlers_tablos_test.go
index cb6eaf1..c888fd1 100644
--- a/backend/internal/web/handlers_tablos_test.go
+++ b/backend/internal/web/handlers_tablos_test.go
@@ -596,6 +596,127 @@ func TestTabloDeleteConfirm(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// ---- TestTablosDashboard_Sidebar ----
+
+// TestTablosDashboard_Sidebar verifies that authenticated GET / renders the dashboard
+// sidebar shell (DASH-01). Fails RED until AppLayout renders the sidebar components.
+func TestTablosDashboard_Sidebar(t *testing.T) {
+	pool, cleanup := setupTestDB(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	q := sqlc.New(pool)
+	store := auth.NewStore(q)
+	router := newTabloTestRouter(q, store)
+
+	user := preInsertUser(t, ctx, q, "sidebar@example.com", "correct-horse-12")
+	cookieVal, _, err := store.Create(ctx, user.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("store.Create: %v", err)
+	}
+	sessionCookie := &http.Cookie{Name: auth.SessionCookieName, Value: cookieVal}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+	req.AddCookie(sessionCookie)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	router.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("GET / status = %d; want 200", rec.Code)
+	}
+
+	body := rec.Body.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "dashboard-sidebar") {
+		t.Errorf("body missing 'dashboard-sidebar'; body: %.300s", body)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "sidebar-nav-shell") {
+		t.Errorf("body missing 'sidebar-nav-shell'; body: %.300s", body)
+	}
+}
+
+// ---- TestTablosDashboard_ProjectCards ----
+
+// TestTablosDashboard_ProjectCards verifies that authenticated GET / with at least
+// one tablo renders project-card elements (DASH-02). Fails RED until TabloProjectCard
+// template is implemented.
+func TestTablosDashboard_ProjectCards(t *testing.T) {
+	pool, cleanup := setupTestDB(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	q := sqlc.New(pool)
+	store := auth.NewStore(q)
+	router := newTabloTestRouter(q, store)
+
+	user := preInsertUser(t, ctx, q, "projectcards@example.com", "correct-horse-12")
+
+	_, err := q.InsertTablo(ctx, sqlc.InsertTabloParams{
+		UserID:      user.ID,
+		Title:       "Project Card Tablo",
+		Description: pgtype.Text{Valid: false},
+		Color:       pgtype.Text{Valid: false},
+	})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("InsertTablo: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	cookieVal, _, storeErr := store.Create(ctx, user.ID)
+	if storeErr != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("store.Create: %v", storeErr)
+	}
+	sessionCookie := &http.Cookie{Name: auth.SessionCookieName, Value: cookieVal}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+	req.AddCookie(sessionCookie)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	router.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("GET / status = %d; want 200", rec.Code)
+	}
+
+	body := rec.Body.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "project-card") {
+		t.Errorf("body missing 'project-card'; body: %.300s", body)
+	}
+}
+
+// ---- TestTablosDashboard_EmptyState ----
+
+// TestTablosDashboard_EmptyState verifies that authenticated GET / with zero tablos
+// renders a ui-empty-state element (DASH-03). Fails RED until TablosEmptyState uses
+// @ui.EmptyState.
+func TestTablosDashboard_EmptyState(t *testing.T) {
+	pool, cleanup := setupTestDB(t)
+	defer cleanup()
+
+	ctx := context.Background()
+	q := sqlc.New(pool)
+	store := auth.NewStore(q)
+	router := newTabloTestRouter(q, store)
+
+	user := preInsertUser(t, ctx, q, "emptystate@example.com", "correct-horse-12")
+	cookieVal, _, err := store.Create(ctx, user.ID)
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("store.Create: %v", err)
+	}
+	sessionCookie := &http.Cookie{Name: auth.SessionCookieName, Value: cookieVal}
+
+	req := httptest.NewRequest(http.MethodGet, "/", nil)
+	req.AddCookie(sessionCookie)
+	rec := httptest.NewRecorder()
+	router.ServeHTTP(rec, req)
+
+	if rec.Code != http.StatusOK {
+		t.Fatalf("GET / status = %d; want 200", rec.Code)
+	}
+
+	body := rec.Body.String()
+	if !strings.Contains(body, "ui-empty-state") {
+		t.Errorf("body missing 'ui-empty-state'; body: %.300s", body)
+	}
+}
+
 // ---- TestTabloDelete ----
 
 // TestTabloDelete verifies that POST /tablos/{id}/delete hard-deletes the row (TABLO-05).