diff --git a/client/constants.js b/client/constants.js
index a4235717..72f8948c 100644
--- a/client/constants.js
+++ b/client/constants.js
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ export const CLOSE_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT_MODAL = 'CLOSE_KEYBOARD_SHORTCUT_MODAL';
 export const SHOW_TOAST = 'SHOW_TOAST';
 export const HIDE_TOAST = 'HIDE_TOAST';
 export const SET_TOAST_TEXT = 'SET_TOAST_TEXT';
+export const SET_THEME = 'SET_THEME';
 
 export const SET_UNSAVED_CHANGES = 'SET_UNSAVED_CHANGES';
 
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/actions/preferences.js b/client/modules/IDE/actions/preferences.js
index f2270905..6b3964ef 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/actions/preferences.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/actions/preferences.js
@@ -136,3 +136,11 @@ export function setTextOutput(value) {
     }
   };
 }
+
+export function setTheme(value) {
+  return {
+    type: ActionTypes.SET_THEME,
+    value
+  };
+}
+
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/components/Preferences.js b/client/modules/IDE/components/Preferences.js
index e9ba2fe3..b0baf885 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/components/Preferences.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/components/Preferences.js
@@ -165,6 +165,33 @@ class Preferences extends React.Component {
             <label htmlFor="autosave-off" className="preference__option">Off</label>
           </div>
         </div>
+        <div className="preference">
+          <h4 className="preference__title">Theme</h4>
+          <div className="preference__options">
+            <input
+              type="radio"
+              onChange={() => this.props.setTheme('light')}
+              aria-label="light theme on"
+              name="light theme"
+              id="light-theme-on"
+              className="preference__radio-button"
+              value="light"
+              checked={this.props.theme === 'light'}
+            />
+            <label htmlFor="light-theme-on" className="preference__option">Light</label>
+            <input
+              type="radio"
+              onChange={() => this.props.setTheme('dark')}
+              aria-label="dark theme on"
+              name="dark theme"
+              id="dark-theme-on"
+              className="preference__radio-button"
+              value="dark"
+              checked={this.props.theme === 'dark'}
+            />
+            <label htmlFor="dark-theme-on" className="preference__option">Dark</label>
+          </div>
+        </div>
         <div className="preference">
           <h4 className="preference__title">Lint Warning Sound</h4>
           <div className="preference__options">
@@ -249,7 +276,9 @@ Preferences.propTypes = {
   textOutput: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
   setTextOutput: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   lintWarning: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
-  setLintWarning: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+  setLintWarning: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  theme: PropTypes.string.isRequired,
+  setTheme: PropTypes.func.isRequired
 };
 
 export default Preferences;
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
index a95249fd..347ae957 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/pages/IDEView.js
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import SplitPane from 'react-split-pane';
 import Overlay from '../../App/components/Overlay';
 import SketchList from '../components/SketchList';
 import About from '../components/About';
+import classNames from 'classnames';
 
 class IDEView extends React.Component {
   constructor(props) {
@@ -156,8 +157,13 @@ class IDEView extends React.Component {
   }
 
   render() {
+    let ideClass = classNames({
+      ide: true,
+      light: this.props.preferences.theme === 'light',
+      dark: this.props.preferences.theme === 'dark',
+    });
     return (
-      <div className="ide">
+      <div className={ideClass}>
         {this.props.toast.isVisible && <Toast />}
         <Nav
           user={this.props.user}
@@ -203,6 +209,8 @@ class IDEView extends React.Component {
           setLintWarning={this.props.setLintWarning}
           textOutput={this.props.preferences.textOutput}
           setTextOutput={this.props.setTextOutput}
+          theme={this.props.preferences.theme}
+          setTheme={this.props.setTheme}
         />
         <div className="editor-preview-container">
           <SplitPane
@@ -432,7 +440,8 @@ IDEView.propTypes = {
     isTabIndent: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
     autosave: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
     lintWarning: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
-    textOutput: PropTypes.bool.isRequired
+    textOutput: PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+    theme: PropTypes.string.isRequired
   }).isRequired,
   closePreferences: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
   setFontSize: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
@@ -492,7 +501,8 @@ IDEView.propTypes = {
     setRouteLeaveHook: PropTypes.func
   }).isRequired,
   route: PropTypes.object.isRequired,
-  setUnsavedChanges: PropTypes.func.isRequired
+  setUnsavedChanges: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
+  setTheme: PropTypes.func.isRequired,
 };
 
 function mapStateToProps(state) {
diff --git a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/preferences.js b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/preferences.js
index 252b51dc..47f6fb53 100644
--- a/client/modules/IDE/reducers/preferences.js
+++ b/client/modules/IDE/reducers/preferences.js
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ const initialState = {
   isTabIndent: true,
   autosave: true,
   lintWarning: false,
-  textOutput: false
+  textOutput: false,
+  theme: 'light'
 };
 
 const preferences = (state = initialState, action) => {
@@ -31,6 +32,8 @@ const preferences = (state = initialState, action) => {
       return Object.assign({}, state, { textOutput: action.value });
     case ActionTypes.SET_PREFERENCES:
       return action.preferences;
+    case ActionTypes.SET_THEME:
+      return Object.assign({}, state, { theme: action.value });
     default:
       return state;
   }
diff --git a/client/styles/abstracts/_functions.scss b/client/styles/abstracts/_functions.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a4756f08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/styles/abstracts/_functions.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+@function map-fetch($map, $keys) {
+  $key: nth($keys, 1);
+  $length: length($keys);
+  $value: map-get($map, $key);
+  
+  
+  @if $value != null {
+    @if $length > 1 {
+      $rest: ();
+      
+      @for $i from 2 through $length {
+        $rest: append($rest, nth($keys, $i))
+      }
+      
+      @return map-fetch($value, $rest);
+    } @else {
+      @return $value;
+    }
+  } @else {
+    @return false;
+  }
+}
+
+@function getThemifyVariable($key) {
+  @return map-get($theme-map, $key);
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/styles/abstracts/_mixins.scss b/client/styles/abstracts/_mixins.scss
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..53221891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/styles/abstracts/_mixins.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+@mixin themify ($themes: $themes) {
+  @each $theme, $map in $themes {
+    .#{$theme} & {
+      // Define theme color
+      $theme-map : (
+          color-alpha: blue
+      ) !global;
+      
+      @each $key, $submap in $map {
+        $value: map-fetch($themes, $theme '#{$key}');
+        $theme-map: map-merge($theme-map, ($key: $value)) !global;
+      }
+      
+      @content;
+      
+      // reset theme color to null
+      $theme-map: null !global;
+    }
+  }
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss b/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
index 7ab71052..45d1b3b2 100644
--- a/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
+++ b/client/styles/abstracts/_variables.scss
@@ -5,6 +5,95 @@ $p5js-pink: #ed225d;
 $white: #fff;
 $black: #000;
 
+$themes: (
+  light: (
+    primary-text-color: #333,
+    secondary-text-color: #6b6b6b,
+    inactive-text-color: #b5b5b5,
+    background-color: #fdfdfd,
+    button-background-color: #f4f4f4,
+    button-color: $black,
+    button-border-color: #979797,
+    toolbar-button-color: $p5js-pink,
+    button-background-hover-color: $p5js-pink,
+    button-background-active-color: #f10046,
+    button-hover-color: $white,
+    button-active-color: $white,
+    modal-background-color: #f4f4f4,
+    modal-button-background-color: #e6e6e6,
+    modal-border-color: #B9D0E1,
+    icon-color: #8b8b8b,
+    icon-hover-color: #333,
+    shadow-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16),
+    console-background-color: #eee,
+    console-header-background-color: #d6d6d6,
+    ide-border-color: #f4f4f4,
+  ),
+  dark: (
+    primary-text-color: $white,
+    secondary-text-color: #c2c2c2,
+    inactive-text-color: #7d7d7d,
+    background-color: #333,
+    button-background-color: $white,
+    button-color: $black,
+    button-border-color: #979797,
+    toolbar-button-color: $p5js-pink,
+    button-background-hover-color: $p5js-pink,
+    button-background-active-color: #f10046,
+    button-hover-color: $white,
+    button-active-color: $white,
+    modal-background-color: #444,
+    modal-button-background-color: #5f5f5f,
+    modal-border-color: #949494,
+    icon-color: #a9a9a9,
+    icon-hover-color: $white,
+    shadow-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16),
+    console-background-color: #4f4f4f,
+    console-header-background-color: #3f3f3f,
+    console-header-color: #b5b5b5,
+    ide-border-color: #949494,
+  )
+);
+
+$primary-text-color: #333;
+$secondary-text-color: #6b6b6b;
+$inactive-text-color: #b5b5b5;
+$background-color: #fdfdfd;
+$button-background-color: #f4f4f4;
+$button-color: $black;
+$button-border-color: #979797;
+$toolbar-button-color: $p5js-pink;
+$button-background-hover-color: $p5js-pink;
+$button-background-active-color: #f10046;
+$button-hover-color: $white;
+$button-active-color: $white;
+$modal-background-color: #f4f4f4;
+$modal-button-background-color: #e6e6e6;
+$modal-border-color: #B9D0E1;
+$icon-color: #8b8b8b;
+$icon-hover-color: #333;
+$shadow-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16);
+$console-background-color: #eee;
+$console-header-background-color: #d6d6d6;
+$ide-border-color: #f4f4f4;
+
+
+// other variables i may or may not need later
+$ide-border-color: #f4f4f4;
+$editor-selected-line-color: #f3f3f3;
+$input-border-color: #979797;
+
+$console-light-background-color: #eee;
+$console-header-background-color: #d6d6d6;
+$console-header-color: #b1b1b1;
+$console-warn-color: #ffbe05;
+$console-error-color: #ff5f52;
+
+$toast-background-color: #979797;
+$toast-text-color: $white;
+
+//light and dark colors
+
 $light-primary-text-color: #333;
 $light-secondary-text-color: #6b6b6b;
 $light-inactive-text-color: #b5b5b5;
@@ -25,9 +114,6 @@ $light-icon-color: #8b8b8b;
 $light-icon-hover-color: $light-primary-text-color;
 $light-shadow-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.16);
 
-$toast-background-color: #979797;
-$toast-text-color: $white;
-
 $dark-primary-text-color: $white;
 $dark-secondary-text-color: #c2c2c2;
 $dark-inactive-color: #7d7d7d;
@@ -41,13 +127,3 @@ $dark-button-background-active-color: #f10046;
 $dark-button-hover-color: $white;
 $dark-button-active-color: $white;
 
-$ide-border-color: #f4f4f4;
-$editor-selected-line-color: #f3f3f3;
-$input-border-color: #979797;
-
-$console-light-background-color: #eee;
-$console-header-background-color: #d6d6d6;
-$console-header-color: #b1b1b1;
-$console-warn-color: #ffbe05;
-$console-error-color: #ff5f52;
-
diff --git a/client/styles/main.scss b/client/styles/main.scss
index c3aa6a0a..1d5943fe 100644
--- a/client/styles/main.scss
+++ b/client/styles/main.scss
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 @import 'abstracts/variables';
+@import 'abstracts/functions';
+@import 'abstracts/mixins';
 @import 'abstracts/placeholders';
 
 @import 'base/reset';
diff --git a/server/models/user.js b/server/models/user.js
index b9fa4987..843fe929 100644
--- a/server/models/user.js
+++ b/server/models/user.js
@@ -15,7 +15,8 @@ const userSchema = new Schema({
     isTabIndent: { type: Boolean, default: false },
     autosave: { type: Boolean, default: true },
     lintWarning: { type: Boolean, default: false },
-    textOutput: { type: Boolean, default: false }
+    textOutput: { type: Boolean, default: false },
+    theme: { type: String, default: 'light' }
   }
 }, { timestamps: true });