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21 Fresh, Usable and Elegant Wordpress Themes
Sometimes it’s just amazing to see, how developers use creative approaches to design amazing layouts, based upon a simple Wordpress template. Every now and again we take a look around, and select Wordpress themes, which offer thought-out design, flexible template structure and conform to the basic principles of usability. The choice is big enough, but the search is worth it. We invest our time, browsing through dozens of web-sites, news aggregators and design-communities and put enhanced solutions together, so you don’t have to.
Let’s take a look at 21 23 fresh, usable, simple and and elegant WordPress themes, which have been released over the last few months. Among other things, we’ve also selected some of the new minimalistic solutions – all of them make use of clear and precise typography. They’re definitely worth a look.
You can also take a look at
- 83 Beautiful Wordpress Themes You Probably Haven’t Seen,
- 8 Fresh And Clean Wordpress Themes and
- 10 Fresh, Elegant and Clean Wordpress Themes.
[Offtopic: by the way, did you already get your copy of the brand new Smashing Book?]
Elegant Wordpress Themes
2. Dark_Black
3. HemingwayEx
4. Deep Blue
5. i3Theme brothers, Left and Right!
6.1. (Bonus, updated) Illacrimo
7. PinkLove
9. School’s in Session
10. Xenoria
11. Autumn Concept 1.0
12. Blue Idea
Simple and Clean Wordpress Themes
15. Alexified
16. Cutline Theme for WordPress
17. Photopress
19. Experimental
20. Simplicity
21. Deliciously Blue
Bonus (Updated)
22. Sharpfolio
23. Coldblue
Further References and Collections
- Best of Wordpress theme galore — BlogoSquare
- A collection of collected Wordpress themes at Witty Sparks
- Part3 Top Best Beautiful Wordpress Themes and Templates
- SEO Wordpress Template Pack #1
- 18 Adsense Optimized Wordpress Themes to Maximize your Contextual Ad Earnings
- WordPress Themes, Web 2.0 Themes
- 100 Favourite Wordpress Themes
- Free Wordpress Themes and More at Fresheezy!
- Weblog Tools Collection
The Co-Founder of Smashing Magazine. Former writer, web designer, freelancer and webworker. Author of several books. Runs the business.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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June 26th, 2007 9:30 pmThey are all really beautiful – particularly the Bus full of Hippies. I found a great one a while ago which I am using on my blog: Simply Fine Things – there is a link at the bottom to the author – he has others on his site too. The amazing thing about his themes is that he really pays a great deal of attention to detail.
I am also using number 5 on my personal blog: Blog.frater.com – it is a breeze to set up and works well on all browsers. I would definitely vouch for it.
Thanks for yet another great post smashingmagazine. This is fast becoming my favourite blog :)
- 3June 26th, 2007 9:30 pm
Don’t like them tbh, all these fresh themes look like the old “fresh” designs :-F
- 4June 26th, 2007 9:45 pm
Thanks a bunch for the link
- 5June 26th, 2007 9:54 pm
Another sparkling piece from Smashing Magazine. You guys rule!
- 6June 26th, 2007 9:55 pm
the bus full of hippies theme is completely broken or very very ugly in IE6
- 7June 26th, 2007 10:05 pm
Those wordpress themes are amazing,thanks for the post!
- 8June 26th, 2007 10:24 pm
hey thanks for the link :) …. love your collection there are a few themes I seem to have missed out
- 9June 26th, 2007 10:31 pm
Thanks for the links! To have two of my themes selected by Smashing Magazine, and to be in such good company… You’ve made my day!
- 10June 26th, 2007 10:41 pm
Thanks for the list. always smashing.
- 11June 26th, 2007 11:17 pm
Oooo super! Thanks for the list SM! The most beatiful collection of Wordpress Themes.
- 12June 26th, 2007 11:34 pm
thanks for collecting these good stuff
- 13June 26th, 2007 11:45 pm
cool…
- 14June 26th, 2007 11:56 pm
Bus Full of Hippies is a rip off of Calibri, a theme published for Blogger.
Whoever did it also failed to remove the gridlines in the image, which I did when I was using it.
Check it out here Michigan Memories Test Blog as a “fixed” image, as opposed to the blue gridlines in the other link above.
This is just a blogger test blog, so no posts are there.
It’s pretty, but kind of busy. And it doesn’t translate well to MSIE6 or less, due to the png transparency.
However, if anyone wants to use it, please contact me for the revised image. I’ll be happy to email it to you. sbclark2002 at yahoo dot com - 15June 27th, 2007 12:38 am
Man this is one of the best compilations.
- 16June 27th, 2007 1:27 am
@Sue
You obviously didn’t follow the link on the “Bus full of hippies” template.
Here is a quote from the page…
“Credits:
Original design by John Oxton
Illustration by Denis Radenkovic
Based on the Textpattern template reworked by Graham Bancroft.”At no point does the author insinuate they created the design.
- 17June 27th, 2007 1:27 am
Simplicity is amazing!!!
- 18June 27th, 2007 1:44 am
Another list of WP themes…. *yawn*
- 19June 27th, 2007 2:03 am
Uh, das freut mich, dass Euch meine Themes gefallen.
Schaue hier immer gerne auf der Suche nach Inspiration vorbei.
- 20June 27th, 2007 2:26 am
Notables, muchas gracias por el listado. :D
- 21June 27th, 2007 2:31 am
These are nice, but some seem familiar.
- 22June 27th, 2007 3:15 am
Awesome! Thanks for having my theme on the list!
- 23June 27th, 2007 3:51 am
Some nice themes there cheers for the post will be trying a couple
- 24June 27th, 2007 4:48 am
You guys rock. I always use these posts as reference.
- 25June 27th, 2007 9:37 am
Can’t believe my i3Theme got feature here ;) Thanks
- 26June 27th, 2007 11:57 am
Nice list. There are some new themes I have not seen and some old favorites as well.
I am going to have to start spending more time online and adding to my collection.
- 27June 27th, 2007 1:01 pm
why didnt you include the grid focus public by derek punsalan?
- 28June 27th, 2007 3:04 pm
great themes, great cms. well done.
- 29June 27th, 2007 3:31 pm
Loved Illacrimo theme!! will try using it someday :)
- 30June 27th, 2007 7:12 pm
Nice Info, Thanks For You …
- 31June 27th, 2007 7:55 pm
The simple and clean ones like the Upstart Blogger Modicus one are pretty sweet.
- 32June 28th, 2007 1:32 am
Very good read, thank you!
- 33June 28th, 2007 4:09 am
Nice selection. i3Theme is awesome.
I also recomend Web2Themes (www.web2themes.com). They have some pretty good themes that could have made the list. - 34June 28th, 2007 5:15 am
Thanks for the links, one of them are interesting, very useful!, cheers!
- 35June 28th, 2007 9:09 am
Like usual nice compile of GREAT WORDPRESS Theme
- 36June 28th, 2007 10:48 am
Nice themes! Great resource.
- 37June 29th, 2007 11:55 am
nice!,so many good theme,thanks!
- 38June 29th, 2007 1:01 pm
Great list… I think I need to just go ahead and download one, slightly tweak it, and finally launch a blog.
- 39June 29th, 2007 3:47 pm
真是非常漂亮，统统收下，隔日换着用~~~thanks!
- 40June 30th, 2007 9:45 am
Wow so nice themes !
Thanks for share many wordpress themes ;)
- 41June 30th, 2007 4:47 pm
THanks alot..
atomise.net is cool too !
- 42July 2nd, 2007 3:40 pm
Thanks for the recommendation! :D
Now I’m using one of it. Thanks.
- 43July 6th, 2007 2:48 pm
Cool themes … shame I don’t use wordpress ;-)
- 44July 9th, 2007 11:58 pm
this site is great.it has got the most beautiful wp themes..
- 45July 10th, 2007 2:16 am
Thanks for the wonderful list :)
I changed my blog theme to Autumn Concept 1.0, almost perfect to what I need!Keep up the good work!
- 46July 14th, 2007 3:46 am
Great themes! I love your work. Hello from France. :)
- 47July 16th, 2007 8:21 pm
Hi,
Check out this new listing of the best Wordpress themes from all over the web. There are some really interesting listings: http://www.bestwpthemes.com.
- 48August 19th, 2007 6:37 pm
Cheers for the templates – I’m now setting up my new site and blog and have found these to be the best set of templates so far. Cheers for the help.
- 49August 21st, 2007 9:33 pm
Thanks,sir
continue your great work. - 50
- 51October 2nd, 2007 1:54 am
Great themes, I just love these lists with good looking and free themes! Keep the lists coming, you’re doing a terrific job!
- 52October 11th, 2007 10:58 pm
Very good list of great themes I didn’t know of. Thanks!
- 53December 15th, 2007 10:46 pm
thanks….
- 54January 1st, 2008 7:57 pm
theme thanks.
- 55January 10th, 2008 5:52 am
Really nice.Thank you.
- 56January 20th, 2008 4:17 pm
Thanks.
- 57February 5th, 2008 11:40 am
thnks
- 58
- 59September 30th, 2008 1:34 am
great themes, as awlway…
I’ve used the upstart blogger one for my blog.. check it out!
http://www.thesparetimetyper.com - 60November 21st, 2008 8:19 am
most of them are like the old templates that has been re edited.. nothing amazing.. they are all the same except that theres a minor changes thats it..
- 61December 23rd, 2008 11:44 am
very very thanx…
- 62January 3rd, 2009 7:48 pm
very very cool…
- 63January 16th, 2009 1:46 pm
THANKS !
- 64March 17th, 2009 10:23 am
I tried to widgetize the Simplicity Bright Theme, maybe it’s useful for some of you: Simplicity Bright Theme Plus
- 65March 26th, 2009 3:04 am
davetiye It is really great. I also used same technic in my web site and it works.
- 66May 11th, 2009 3:35 pm
wery beauitiful templates. Thanx.
- 67May 17th, 2009 3:41 pm
Wow… Wonder themes. I am used #5 i3Theme brothers, Left and Right! in Blog UnderMedia
- 68August 12th, 2009 8:14 am
I like Cutline for my private blog/journal. It’s definitely a great, clean design as you listed.
But how usable are black background designs? Yes, they’re sleek and clean looking, but are they readable? Not for me. In design school that reading too much white on black creates a retinal problem — burnout. Some people find it really difficult (or impossible) to read white text on a black screen: http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum116/48.htm. So you may actually be driving away users.
Thoughts?
- 69November 18th, 2009 11:00 am
nice page to bookmark with amazing collection.
but love ur new footer about picture most! :) - 70November 21st, 2009 11:04 pm
love the themes, thank you for the great list, cant wait to use one of them,
please also visit my website for some free goodies, thanks guys
wicked free photoshop tutorials - 71January 25th, 2010 6:32 pm
I’m all over that simplicity theme – clean design is underrated these days. Thanks for sharing.
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- 73February 8th, 2010 7:18 am
Event it a old post but still give the great wordpress theme collection. Thank you
- 00
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really fast research for new wordpress theme
thank you smashingmagazine!