# How to: Change Tab Appearance in DXTabControl when a Tab Is Selected, Focused Or Hovered | WPF Controls | DevExpress Documentation The following example uses the properties of the `TabBorder` internal class to change the tab appearance: - XAML 
<dx:ThemedWindow
        xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
        xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
        xmlns:dx="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/core" 
        xmlns:dxe="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/editors"
        xmlns:dxb="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/bars"
        xmlns:dxcn="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/core/internal" 
        xmlns:dxmvvm="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/mvvm"
        dx:ThemeManager.ThemeName="Office2013"
        x:Class="DXTabControlExample.MainWindow"
        Title="Theming" Height="350" Width="550">
    <Window.Resources>
        <DataTemplate x:Key="TabControlBackground">
            <dxcn:TabBorder ViewInfo="{Binding}" BorderBrush="Wheat" BorderThickness="1" BorderBackground="Azure" BackgroundMode="BorderBackground" BorderMode="BorderBrush"/>
        </DataTemplate>

        <DataTemplate x:Key="TabItemNormalBackground">
            <dxcn:TabBorder ViewInfo="{Binding}" BorderBackground="PeachPuff" 
                            BorderCornerRadius="5,5,0,0"
            BackgroundMode="BorderBackground" BorderMode="BorderBrush" BorderThickness="1,1,1,0" BorderMargin="0,0,1,0" HoldBorderThickness="2" HoldBorderMargin="0,0,2,2"/>
        </DataTemplate>
        <DataTemplate x:Key="TabItemHoverBackground">
            <dxcn:TabBorder ViewInfo="{Binding}" BorderBackground="PapayaWhip" BorderBrush="Wheat" 
                            BorderCornerRadius="5,5,0,0"
            BackgroundMode="BorderBackground" BorderMode="BorderBrush" BorderThickness="1,1,1,0" BorderMargin="0,0,1,0" HoldBorderThickness="2" HoldBorderMargin="0,0,2,2"/>
        </DataTemplate>
        <DataTemplate x:Key="TabItemSelectedBackground">
            <dxcn:TabBorder ViewInfo="{Binding}" BorderBackground="Azure" BorderBrush="Wheat" 
                            BorderCornerRadius="5,5,0,0"
            BackgroundMode="BorderBackground" BorderMode="BorderBrush" BorderThickness="1,1,1,0" BorderMargin="0,-1,1,-1" HoldBorderThickness="2" HoldBorderMargin="0,0,2,2"/>
        </DataTemplate>
        <DataTemplate x:Key="TabItemFocusedBackground">
            <dxcn:TabBorder ViewInfo="{Binding}" BorderBrush="Brown" 
                            BorderCornerRadius="5,5,0,0"
                            BorderBackground="LightCyan" BorderThickness="0" HoldBorderThickness="2" HoldBorderMargin="0,0,2,2" />
        </DataTemplate>
    </Window.Resources>
    <Grid>
        <dx:DXTabControl Name="tabControl" BackgroundTemplate="{StaticResource TabControlBackground}">
            <dx:DXTabControl.ItemContainerStyle>
                <Style TargetType="dx:DXTabItem">
                    <Setter Property="HoverBackgroundTemplate" Value="{StaticResource TabItemHoverBackground}"/>
                    <Setter Property="NormalBackgroundTemplate" Value="{StaticResource TabItemNormalBackground}"/>
                    <Setter Property="SelectedBackgroundTemplate" Value="{StaticResource TabItemSelectedBackground}"/>
                    <Setter Property="FocusedBackgroundTemplate" Value="{StaticResource TabItemFocusedBackground}"/>
                </Style>
            </dx:DXTabControl.ItemContainerStyle>
            <dx:DXTabItem Header="Original Text">
                <TextBox/>
            </dx:DXTabItem>
            <dx:DXTabItem Header="Edited Text">
                <TextBox/>
            </dx:DXTabItem>
            <dx:DXTabItem Header="Result Text">
                <TextBox/>
            </dx:DXTabItem>
        </dx:DXTabControl>
    </Grid>
</dx:ThemedWindow>
[View Example: WPF Tab Control - Customize Tab Background for Selected, Focused, and Hovered States](https://github.com/DevExpress-Examples/wpf-tabcontrol-customize-background-based-on-tab-state)