Demo | Download BlackRust (328)

Taking a look at the Black Rust theme is like a trip to the moon, being enveloped by a dark yet mysterious void of emptiness. In the top left hand corner of the page is where your logo or title will go, as well as a list of categories for visitors directly below. On the right side is the main section where all of the posts are put for guests to read or view. At the bottom below the categories is a small blue Twitter bird, providing those who visit with up-to-date information on everything that is going on. With the perfect contrast of gray text on a black background, it’s a great-looking theme that guests will be sure to enjoy.

Demo | Download Darknight (520)

Upon viewing the Dark Night theme, you will see a place at the very top for features posts, along with a place on the side for Twitter updates. This particular theme has a darker color scheme which is great for the contrasting bit of red that pops out and invites guests. At the very bottom you will have multiple numbers to select from, indicating which page you wish to go to. The Dark Night theme is perfect in that it has a somber, albeit practical and layout for guests who wish to navigate around the page as efficiently as possible.

How to feature posts?
Put all posts you would like to feature in a certain category and select that category as featured in “Darknight Options” page in wp-admin

How to show image in featured posts?
Create a custom field called “thumbnail” in the post you want to feature and post a link to 232×154 image.

Demo | Download DarkSky (1575)

With a place at the very top for a logo, the Dark Sky theme is ideal for those who like two opposite colors of blue and charcoal black coming together to form a stylish and inviting layout for all who visit. The sliding category section at the top is a nice feature for those who need to find what they are looking for as quickly as possible. Just below it you will find a tweeting section, where all guests will be able to see what recent activity has been going on with the page. This blue, black and white theme is a great choice for those who need a fresh style that stands out as being different yet still very much easy on the eyes.

How to feature posts?
Put all posts you would like to feature in a certain category and select that category as featured in “DarkSky Options” page in wp-admin

How to show image in featured posts?
Create a custom field called “thumbnail” in the post you want to feature and post a link to 318×215 image.

Demo | Download Aurora (1036)

Anyone who is seeking a theme that differs from the rest in terms of how it looks will want to consider Aurora as an option. It has a spectacularly colorful design residing at the very top, giving way to a color which resembles a dark night’s sky. You will have all the basic features on this impressive theme, including the featured post section at the top, just under the designated place where you will be able to put your logo. On the side are the categories for visitors to scroll through along with regular tweets just above it, along for guests to always stay current.

How to feature posts?
Put all posts you would like to feature in a certain category and select that category as featured in “DarkSky Options” page in wp-admin

How to show image in featured posts?
Create a custom field called “thumbnail” in the post you want to feature and post a link to 318×215 image.

Demo | Download Silva (2859)

While the Silva theme is easy on the eyes, it is anything but boring. Thanks to its dynamic header, you can easily feature your best posts. Above the header is a user friendly navigation menu, as well as a section for your logo, a search box and several colorful social media icons, including Twitter, StumbleUpon and Facebook. You can also take advantage of your social media presence on Twitter thanks to the box on the right side of the theme that displays your latest Tweets.

Although you may just be blogging because you truly love the topic you are writing about, it’s still always nice to receive some monetary compensation for the time you spend. The Silva theme makes this easy to accomplish by providing a dedicated section for multiple square ad units at the top of the right side of the theme.

Since reader participation is important, this theme encourages readers to let their voice be heard by displaying a large comment count next to the title of each post on the homepage.

To show featured posts, put all posts you want to feature in a separate category and select this category as featured in theme options page.

To show images in featured posts, create custom field called “thumbnail” and paste an url to 222×148 px image in its value

Demo | Download Gunie (2261)

If you want a WordPress theme that has an edgy feel to it but is still well-designed and accessible to visitors, Gunie is an excellent choice. The Gunie theme displays its edginess by featuring an intentionally rough header area. The theme then transitions to a wood grain navigation menu, which is followed by a featured post area with a dark background and light text.

The reason this theme stands out from so many others that have an edgy feel is because it provides this roughness but still makes the body of the theme extremely easy to read. The left column of the theme’s body features dark text on a light background, which is the ideal combination for making your posts easy for your visitors to read. Gunie also provides a nice accent to the posts by displaying the comment count in a small bubble with a wood grain background.

The right column provides all of the extras that you need, including tasteful advertising, your latest Tweets, categories, archives and an area for you to link to other blogs and websites that you want your readers to visit as well.

To show featured posts, put all posts you want to feature in a separate category and select this category as featured in theme options page.

To show images in featured posts, create custom field called “thumbnail” and paste an url to 222×148 px image in its value

Demo | Download Mello (1614)

Maroon is a very strong color. While it can easily become overpowering in a color scheme, when used properly, it can look very nice. The reason that Mello is such a great theme is because it uses the perfect amount of maroon to accent the theme without overpowering it. In addition to maroon, some of the other colors that make up this theme include tan, white, black and a wood texture, as well as splashes of red, gray and orange.

The great thing about the Mello theme is that it has much more to offer than just a great color scheme. The two column layout features the blog’s posts in the left column, as well as a wide variety of sections in the right column. At the top of the left column is a sliding featured posts section, which provides visitors with a glance at some of the best posts on the blog. In addition to the standard category, archive and link sections, the right column also has a section for your latest Tweets and an area where you can display multiple square advertising units.

To show featured posts, put all posts you want to feature in a separate category and select this category as featured in theme options page.

To show images in featured posts, create custom field called “thumbnail” and paste an url to 222×148 px image in its value

Demo | Download Rockie (2075)

While WordPress themes with a dark background can look very nice, they can also cause problems for visitors by making it difficult to read the blog’s text. The Rockie theme solves this problem by providing a dark accent background, and then using a much lighter color for the actual background of the body and text. This gives the theme a strong look, while ensuring all of the blog’s text is fully legible. Additionally, by providing this color contrast, the theme draws your visitors’ eyes to the areas where you want their attention.

The Rockie theme has quite a few cool features, including an interactive menu, a dynamic featured posts area, a latest Tweets section (complete with an adorable Twitter bird) and an advertising section that is prominent but in no way compromises the look of the theme. The theme also has some very nice formatting features, including clean designs for ordered lists and unordered lists that match perfectly with the rest of the theme.

To show featured posts, put all posts you want to feature in a separate category and select this category as featured in theme options page.

To show images in featured posts, create custom field called “thumbnail” and paste an url to 222×148 px image in its value

Demo | Download iZen (2722)

If you like WordPress themes that are clean and subtle, you will love Light Zen. The biggest strength of the Light Zen theme is that it provides a lot of functionality without being cluttered.

Demo | Download BlueGrey (4152)

This theme is quite inspirational and would work well for any site that is trying to impart a positive message. The hand drawn illustrations show love growing like a flower, with the design kept in a low key grey and blue, this helps keep the theme professional.

The Blue Grey theme allows you to feature an article across your site within the top banner of the page. This is great for sites trying to sell or promote a product, service or list as every visitor will see the content you are trying to promote.

The theme is actually 3 column, however clever design ensures that it feels like a 2 column design until you have scrolled significantly down the page. This ensures you have the neat tidy look of two column sites, with the benefits of a 3 column site.