Celeste is a lightweight Jekyll theme that uses a minimalist, content-first design to present written work without visual distractions, built on the Poole starter project by @mdo.
What is Celeste?
Celeste is a Jekyll theme that takes Markdown posts and pages and outputs a clean, static HTML website optimized for reading. Its core function is to place content center stage, giving readers a clutter-free environment without sidebars or unnecessary modules. The theme is based on Poole, the Jekyll butler created by @mdo, so it inherits Poole's standard file structure and configuration conventions. It is distributed on GitHub under the MIT license.
Key Features
- Minimalist, content-first design — the layout focuses entirely on the text, removing visual distractions so readers stay engaged with the material.
- Based on Poole — inherits the well-tested Jekyll starting point by @mdo, including its standard pages, posts, and configuration patterns.
- Lightweight theme — ships with only the essential templates and styles, keeping the generated site lean and straightforward to customize.
- MIT licensed — free to use, modify, and redistribute in personal or commercial projects with attribution.
- Live demo site — a working preview is available at https://nicoelayda.github.io/celeste, allowing you to evaluate the theme before installing it.
Who should use Celeste?
- Bloggers who want their articles to be the only element on screen will get a reading experience free from sidebar and widget clutter.
- Jekyll developers looking for a minimal base theme can start from Celeste and add their own styles without stripping away unused components.
- Owners of content-driven sites such as personal homepages or simple documentation hubs will find the uncluttered layout suits long-form text.
Use cases
- Publish a personal blog on Jekyll with a clean, content-forward aesthetic.
- Swap out a default theme in an existing Jekyll project to instantly give it a minimalist look.
- Create a minimal project site or portfolio where written descriptions carry the message.
FAQ
Is Celeste free?
Yes. Celeste is released under the MIT license, which allows free use, modification, and distribution, including in commercial projects. You only need to keep the original copyright notice.
What is Celeste based on?
Celeste is built on Poole, a Jekyll starter kit created by @mdo. This means the theme follows the structure and conventions that Poole established for a standard Jekyll site.
Is there a demo of Celeste?
A live demo is hosted on GitHub Pages at https://nicoelayda.github.io/celeste, showing how the theme renders content in its minimalist layout.
