diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
index ad6b55333..21c0a79e1 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/appearance_settings_page.cpp
@@ -676,7 +676,7 @@ void AppearanceSettingsPage::retranslateUi()
     }
 
     handGroupBox->setTitle(tr("Hand layout"));
-    horizontalHandCheckBox.setText(tr("Display hand horizontally (wastes space)"));
+    horizontalHandCheckBox.setText(tr("Display hand horizontally (requires more space)"));
     leftJustifiedHandCheckBox.setText(tr("Enable left justification"));
 
     tableGroupBox->setTitle(tr("Table grid layout"));
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.cpp b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.cpp
index 09dd9e9b0..274e55866 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.cpp
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.cpp
@@ -88,18 +88,21 @@ MessagesSettingsPage::MessagesSettingsPage()
 
     auto *chatGrid = new QGridLayout;
     chatGrid->addWidget(&chatMentionCheckBox, 0, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&invertMentionForeground, 0, 1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&mentionColorStringLabel, 0, 1, Qt::AlignRight);
     chatGrid->addWidget(mentionColor, 0, 2);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&chatMentionCompleterCheckbox, 1, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreUnregUsersMainChat, 2, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&hexLabel, 1, 2);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreUnregUserMessages, 3, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreNonBuddyUserMessages, 4, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&messagePopups, 5, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&mentionPopups, 6, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&roomHistory, 7, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreAllPrivateMessagesCheckBox, 8, 0);
-    chatGrid->addWidget(&useGameTimeCheckBox, 9, 0);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&invertMentionForeground, 0, 3);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&chatMentionCompleterCheckbox, 1, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreUnregUsersMainChat, 2, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreUnregUserMessages, 3, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreNonBuddyUserMessages, 4, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&messagePopups, 5, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&mentionPopups, 6, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&roomHistory, 7, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&ignoreAllPrivateMessagesCheckBox, 8, 0, 1, -1);
+    chatGrid->addWidget(&useGameTimeCheckBox, 9, 0, 1, -1);
+    // Expand the first column more than the following ones
+    chatGrid->setColumnStretch(0, 3);
+    chatGrid->setColumnStretch(1, 1);
     chatGroupBox = new QGroupBox;
     chatGroupBox->setLayout(chatGrid);
 
@@ -109,11 +112,14 @@ MessagesSettingsPage::MessagesSettingsPage()
     connect(highlightColor, &QLineEdit::textChanged, this, &MessagesSettingsPage::updateHighlightColor);
 
     auto *highlightNotice = new QGridLayout;
-    highlightNotice->addWidget(highlightColor, 0, 2);
-    highlightNotice->addWidget(&invertHighlightForeground, 0, 1);
-    highlightNotice->addWidget(&hexHighlightLabel, 1, 2);
     highlightNotice->addWidget(customAlertString, 0, 0);
-    highlightNotice->addWidget(&customAlertStringLabel, 1, 0);
+    highlightNotice->addWidget(&highlightColorStringLabel, 0, 1, Qt::AlignRight);
+    highlightNotice->addWidget(highlightColor, 0, 2);
+    highlightNotice->addWidget(&invertHighlightForeground, 0, 3);
+    highlightNotice->addWidget(&customAlertStringLabel, 1, 0, 1, -1);
+    // Expand the first column more than the following ones
+    highlightNotice->setColumnStretch(0, 3);
+    highlightNotice->setColumnStretch(1, 1);
     customAlertStringLabel.setBuddy(customAlertString);
     highlightGroupBox = new QGroupBox;
     highlightGroupBox->setLayout(highlightNotice);
@@ -131,10 +137,8 @@ MessagesSettingsPage::MessagesSettingsPage()
     auto *channelGrid = new QGridLayout;
     channelGrid->addWidget(&channelUnreadColorLabel, 0, 0);
     channelGrid->addWidget(channelUnreadColor, 0, 1);
-    channelGrid->addWidget(&hexChannelUnreadLabel, 0, 2);
     channelGrid->addWidget(&channelMentionColorLabel, 1, 0);
     channelGrid->addWidget(channelMentionColor, 1, 1);
-    channelGrid->addWidget(&hexChannelMentionLabel, 1, 2);
     channelGroupBox = new QGroupBox;
     channelGroupBox->setLayout(channelGrid);
 
@@ -331,6 +335,8 @@ void MessagesSettingsPage::retranslateUi()
     channelGroupBox->setTitle(tr("Room channel tabs"));
     channelUnreadColorLabel.setText(tr("Unread messages color"));
     channelMentionColorLabel.setText(tr("Mentioned messages color"));
+    channelUnreadColor->setPlaceholderText(tr("Enter HEX code"));
+    channelMentionColor->setPlaceholderText(tr("Enter HEX code"));
     chatMentionCheckBox.setText(tr("Enable chat mentions"));
     chatMentionCompleterCheckbox.setText(tr("Enable mention completer"));
     messageGroupBox->setTitle(tr("In-game message macros"));
@@ -341,15 +347,15 @@ void MessagesSettingsPage::retranslateUi()
     ignoreNonBuddyUserMessages.setText(tr("Ignore private messages sent by non-buddy users"));
     invertMentionForeground.setText(tr("Invert text color"));
     invertHighlightForeground.setText(tr("Invert text color"));
+    mentionColorStringLabel.setText(tr("Color"));
+    highlightColorStringLabel.setText(tr("Color"));
+    mentionColor->setPlaceholderText(tr("Enter HEX code"));
+    highlightColor->setPlaceholderText(tr("Enter HEX code"));
     messagePopups.setText(tr("Enable desktop notifications for private messages"));
     mentionPopups.setText(tr("Enable desktop notification for mentions"));
     roomHistory.setText(tr("Enable room message history on join"));
     ignoreAllPrivateMessagesCheckBox.setText(tr("Ignore all private messages"));
     useGameTimeCheckBox.setText(tr("Use game time instead of local time in game logs"));
-    hexLabel.setText(tr("(Color is hexadecimal)"));
-    hexHighlightLabel.setText(tr("(Color is hexadecimal)"));
-    hexChannelUnreadLabel.setText(tr("(Color is hexadecimal)"));
-    hexChannelMentionLabel.setText(tr("(Color is hexadecimal)"));
     customAlertStringLabel.setText(tr("Separate words with a space, alphanumeric characters only"));
     customAlertString->setPlaceholderText(tr("Word1 Word2 Word3"));
     aAdd->setText(tr("Add New Message"));
diff --git a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.h b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.h
index 112ff4e29..06fabcef2 100644
--- a/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.h
+++ b/cockatrice/src/interface/widgets/settings_page/messages_settings_page.h
@@ -58,13 +58,11 @@ private:
     QLineEdit *channelUnreadColor;
     QLineEdit *channelMentionColor;
     QLineEdit *customAlertString;
-    QLabel hexLabel;
-    QLabel hexHighlightLabel;
     QLabel channelUnreadColorLabel;
     QLabel channelMentionColorLabel;
-    QLabel hexChannelUnreadLabel;
-    QLabel hexChannelMentionLabel;
     QLabel customAlertStringLabel;
+    QLabel mentionColorStringLabel;
+    QLabel highlightColorStringLabel;
     QLabel explainMessagesLabel;
 
     void storeSettings();