Lanyon 11ty is a direct port of the classic Lanyon Jekyll theme, rebuilt on the Eleventy static site generator to provide a restrained, content-first blog layout with a hidden navigation drawer. It is a static site template that takes Markdown content and outputs a fully static HTML site, designed for writers who want their words front and center.
What is Lanyon 11ty?
Lanyon 11ty is a blog and personal site theme that runs on Eleventy (11ty), a JavaScript-based static site generator. It is a direct port of the original Lanyon theme for Jekyll, preserving its minimal design and its signature hidden drawer that slides in from the side when toggled. The template is hosted on GitHub and currently has 6 stars; it incorporates tips from the official eleventy-base-blog starter, giving it a solid foundation for blogging. As input, it expects Markdown files for content and a standard Eleventy project structure; as output, it produces a static HTML site ready for deployment to any hosting service.
Key Features
- Hidden drawer sidebar — A left-facing navigation drawer is hidden by default and toggled open with a button, keeping the reading area clean and focused on content.
- Eleventy-powered — Built on Eleventy, a flexible static site generator known for fast builds and support for multiple template languages.
- Markdown content — All content is authored in Markdown files, making it easy to write and manage blog posts without a database or CMS.
- Derived from eleventy-base-blog — Incorporates the structure and best practices of the official Eleventy blog starter, including how to organize collections and layouts.
- Direct Lanyon port — Faithfully recreates the original Jekyll theme's typography, layout, and overall aesthetic, so you get the same look without Jekyll.
- Netlify-ready deployment — The repository includes a Netlify deployment status badge, indicating that the project is set up for smooth continuous deployment on Netlify.
Who is it for?
- Writers and bloggers — Create a minimalist blog focused on long-form content, where the hidden drawer keeps navigation out of the way.
- Jekyll users migrating to Eleventy — If you have an existing Lanyon site on Jekyll, this port offers a familiar design while moving to the faster, more flexible Eleventy platform.
- Developers wanting a clean Eleventy starter — Use this template as a foundation for a personal site or blog, leveraging the conventions of eleventy-base-blog and the simplicity of Markdown.
- Content-first designers — The theme's emphasis on content gravity suits portfolios, digital gardens, or any site where the writing is the main attraction.
What can you do with Lanyon 11ty?
- Personal bloggers: publish essays or journal entries in Markdown and generate a static site with a hidden sidebar for navigation, deployable to Netlify or any static host.
- Documentation creators: use the drawer to hold navigation links and the content area for documentation pages, tuned for long-form reading.
- Prototyping: quickly stand up a bare-bones static site with minimal JavaScript, thanks to Eleventy's simple build process and the theme's reserved design.
- Portfolio owners: showcase writing or selected projects with the same minimalist presentation, keeping the focus on your work.
How does Lanyon 11ty work?
Lanyon 11ty follows the standard Eleventy workflow: clone or download the repository, install dependencies with npm, and run the Eleventy build command to generate a static site. Content is written as Markdown files in the designated content directory, and the hidden drawer navigation is implemented through the theme's front-end code. After building, the output folder contains the final HTML files that can be deployed to Netlify, GitHub Pages, or any static hosting provider.
FAQ
Is Lanyon 11ty free?
Yes. The template is open source and hosted on GitHub, so you can freely use, modify, and redistribute it under the terms of its repository license. There are no subscription fees or gated features.
What does Lanyon 11ty do?
It generates a static blog or personal website with a hidden drawer navigation. You write content in Markdown, run Eleventy, and get a fast, static HTML site that prioritizes readability and minimalism.
Can I migrate from the original Jekyll Lanyon?
Yes, because Lanyon 11ty is a direct port of the Jekyll theme. You can carry over your content and visual identity, then switch the build system from Jekyll to Eleventy without redesigning the site.
Does Lanyon 11ty require JavaScript to use?
No. The template is built with Eleventy, which generates plain HTML files. The hidden drawer uses a small amount of JavaScript to toggle the sidebar, but content authoring and the build process require no JavaScript coding.
