Themes have always been my obsession. Not just a hobby, not just a side interest—a full-blown, wake-up-thinking-about-it passion.
My WordPress journey started in the most millennial way possible: I became a fan of the Perel Brothers at Obox and their incredible design aesthetic. Their themes weren’t just functional; they were fun. They had personality. They made you smile while you built your website.
So naturally, I did what any reasonable person would do—I started pestering them with “ideas” (read: probably terrible suggestions from someone with zero qualifications). But here’s the thing about the Perel Brothers: they saw something in my relentless enthusiasm. They offered me a job I was completely unqualified for.
And you know what? I threw my heart and soul into learning everything I could. By the end of my time there, I was chopping up themes, writing code, and having the time of my life doing it.
The Wilderness Years
After Obox, I dabbled with themes here and there, but life had other plans. Until a few years ago, when I found myself working with the brilliant folks at WP.com, focusing on underserved niches and fresh design styles. Ian and I created themes that made me realize something important:
I could actually help fix the WordPress theme ecosystem.
When Matt Calls Your Bluff
Here’s where it gets interesting. I have this habit of bugging Matt Mullenweg with my “brilliant” ideas about what WordPress needs. The thing about Matt is he’s always been incredibly supportive—listening to my wild theories, encouraging my experiments, and genuinely caring about where WordPress is headed.
This time was different though.
I laid out my vision for what WordPress themes could be—should be—and instead of his usual thoughtful encouragement, Matt looked at me and said, “Make it so.” (Star Trek for life, people.)
So I did. And I plan on doing it over and over again.
Enter Twombly: Where Cool Designs Meet WordPress
Here’s my master plan (cue dramatic music): Take the designs that are absolutely crushing it on platforms like Webflow and Framer—you know, where all the cool kids are hanging out these days—and bring that energy to WordPress.
Let’s be honest: while WordPress has been busy being the most powerful CMS on the planet, the design conversation has been happening elsewhere. Webflow and Framer feel modern and fresh. WordPress themes? Well, they often feel like they’re stuck in 2015.
That changes now.
What Makes Twombly Different
This isn’t just another theme with a pretty screenshot. Twombly comes loaded with features that will make your site feel like it belongs in 2025:
View Transitions — I had no idea these existed until recently, and now I can’t live without them. They’re absolutely game-changing for user experience.
Custom Cursor — Super subtle, incredibly cool. It’s the kind of detail that makes visitors think, “Wow, this site feels different.”
Micro-interactions — Motion makes everything feel modern and alive. These are surprisingly easy to implement but have a massive impact on how your site feels.
But here’s the real kicker: When you activate Twombly, it looks exactly like the demo. No dummy content imports. No “this menu does not exist” errors. No staring at a blank canvas wondering what went wrong.
WordPress automatically creates the pages and assigns the templates. You get a beautiful, fully functional site from minute one. Want to customize it with patterns and advanced features? Go for it. But you shouldn’t need a computer science degree just to get started.
The Bottom Line
I’m building themes for people who want their websites to feel as modern and engaging as the best sites on the web, without having to leave WordPress behind.
Twombly is just the beginning. This is my commitment to bringing fresh, contemporary design to the WordPress ecosystem—one theme at a time.
Ready to see what all the fuss is about?
P.S. — If you’re a designer creating amazing work on Webflow or Framer, and you’re thinking “this WordPress theme thing sounds interesting,” hit me up. Let’s talk about bringing your vision to WordPress.