Demo | Download Mello (17)

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 Gunie (19)

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 Silva (23)

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 iZen (6)

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.

The top of the theme features a logo area, interactive navigation menu and attractive social media icons. Instead of displaying the RSS feed button in the usual way, Light Zen integrates it in a clever way.

Below the top area is the main two column body of the theme. The left column begins with a sliding featured posts section, and then goes on to display the blog’s most recent posts. The right column provides readers with an extra level of interaction by displaying your latest Tweets, and then showing a nicely integrated advertising section, search box and additional navigation sections.

The biggest reason that Light Zen is a good choice is because it makes your posts easy for visitors to read. Each post has a large title, and the body of each post uses an easy to read font, is well-spaced and has a dark font on a light background.

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