I wanted my tools to match. Not in a matchy-matchy way, but sharing a coherent visual language—the same palette I use for my newsletter and website.
So I built themes for both Ghostty and Obsidian.
The Palette
The Signal Over Noise aesthetic is mid-century modern, retro-futuristic. Think 1960s science textbooks meets warm Scandinavian design.
| Colour | Hex | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| Teal | #1B9AAA |
Primary accent, links |
| Burnt Orange | #EF6351 |
Cursor, errors, emphasis |
| Cream | #F7F4EA |
Light background |
| Black | #1A1A1A |
Dark background |
| Sage Green | #88AB8E |
Success, italic text |
| Mustard Yellow | #E5B945 |
Warnings, highlights |
| Navy Blue | #2C3E50 |
Secondary accents |
Both themes support light and dark modes, switching automatically with system appearance.
Ghostty Theme
Ghostty is a relatively new terminal emulator that’s become my daily driver. Fast, native, and configurable.
The theme gives you:
- Teal prompt markers
- Burnt orange cursor that’s easy to track
- Clear differentiation between command output and system messages
Install by adding to your Ghostty config directory.
Obsidian Theme
The Obsidian theme extends the palette to notes, with some additions:
- Custom callout styling (tip, warning, danger, success)
- Enhanced heading typography
- Styled tables with alternating rows
- Graph view colours that match the system
Why Bother?
Context switching between tools is cognitive friction. Consistent visual language reduces that friction—when I flip between terminal and notes, they feel like the same workspace.
Plus it’s just nicer to look at things that look intentional.