The default Windows desktop isn’t known for being elegant.
It’s functional, sure, but that’s about it.
Luckily there are many ways to customize Windows 10, including installing a new theme or skin pack.
Here is a selection of the best minimalist themes and skin packs for making your desktop elegant.
But First, How Do You Install Themes and Skin Packs?
Something described as a theme could, in fact, be a skin pack.
A standard theme is unlikely to change anything that can’t be altered using the Windows Customize prefs.
A skin pack will usually make many more changes to the UI.
It may include custom icons, and style changes to the Explorer, Taskbar, and Menus.
As well as wallpapers and color changes.
Skin packs often patch the UI and, occasionally, can cause problems with the Windows OS.
We strongly recommend youcreate a Restore Pointbefore installing any skin pack or patching the Windows UI.
Also, you should also always check that the skin pack is compatible with your version of Windows 10.
As such, be sure tocheck which version of Windows 10you are using before downloading a theme.
Minimalist Theme
The Minimalist theme is actually just a collection of wallpapers.
The wallpapers all follow a dark theme, with a small visual element to add a bit of interest.
All the main UI elements are simplified, and you get new icons and a fresh menu style.
This varies from the stripe along the bottom of your open windows to color accents on the Taskbar.
Oxford
The Oxford skin pack goes about the whole minimalist thing in a different way than most.
The changes to the Taskbar are particularly effective and really help the overall style.
The dominant color accent is an attractive blue.
Grey Eve
Grey Eve is possibly the ultimate minimalist theme for Windows 10.
Dragoon
While the name might not scream minimalism, Dragoon is a beautiful minimalist theme.
It introduces several UI changes, from simplifying Windows Explorer to adding new icons for folders, etc.
It even changes the minimize/maximize buttons, giving them a distinctly macOS-style makeover.
It has light or dark versions and includes lots of wallpaper files to choose from.
Dragoon takes a bit of work to get installed and requires several bits of software.
Minim VS
Windows 10 skin packs don’t get much more elegant or simple than Minim VS.
But if you want a theme that looks classy, simple, and clean, this is the one.
Numix
Numix is a minimalist theme that manages to remain interesting.
The sometimes subtle alterations might be hard to spot at first, but the overall effect is undeniably elegant.
Simple
Another great collection of simple, minimalist wallpapers.
Unlike the Minimalist theme wallpaper set, these vary between dark and light.
Many of the wallpapers are geometric in style, and several include a small splash of color.
But they often require extra software to be installed, and can occasionally hamper performance.
If you prefer, you canuse the built-in Windows customization settingsto create your own minimalist theme.
Just remember to create a restore point before you make any major visual changes to Windows 10.
