diff --git a/colors.v b/colors.v
index f4bd249d..d5c3d441 100644
--- a/colors.v
+++ b/colors.v
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@ import tauraamui.bobatea as tea
 // TODO(tauraamui): consolidate all used colors into a core palette/swatch set
 // and alias reference off of that only in the places/models they are used with
 // alternative names, instead of here. This file is getting messy and out of hand.
-pub const theme_bg_color = matte_black_bg_color
 pub const matte_black_bg_color = tea.Color{ 20, 20, 20 }
 
 pub const petal_pink_color  = tea.Color{ 245, 191, 243 }
@@ -21,11 +20,11 @@ pub const status_purple     = tea.Color{ 130, 144, 250 }
 
 pub const error_color = petal_red_color
 
+//
 
 pub const matte_black_fg_color      = tea.Color.ansi(232)
 pub const matte_white_fg_color      = tea.Color{ 230, 230, 230 }
 pub const bright_off_white_fg_color = tea.Color{ 255, 255, 255 }
-// pub const bright_red_fg_color       = tea.Color{ 245, 42, 42 }
 
 pub const subtle_text_fg_color = tea.Color.ansi(249)
 pub const help_fg_color = tea.Color.ansi(241)
@@ -34,7 +33,6 @@ pub const selected_highlight_bg_color = tea.Color.ansi(239)
 
 pub const subtle_border_fg_color = petal_pink_color
 
-
 pub const status_bar_bg_color         = tea.Color.ansi(234)
 pub const status_file_name_bg_color   = tea.Color{ 86, 86, 86 }
 pub const status_branch_name_bg_color = tea.Color{ 154, 119, 209 }
diff --git a/config.v b/config.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a72d0a06
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config.v
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+module cfg
+
+import theme
+
+pub const light_theme_name = theme.light_theme_name
+pub const dark_theme_name = theme.dark_theme_name
+
+pub struct Config{
+pub:
+	theme      theme.Theme
+	leader_key string
+}
+
+@[params]
+pub struct ConfigOptions {
+pub:
+	load_from_path ?string = "~/.config/petal/petal.cfg"
+}
+
+pub fn Config.new(opts ConfigOptions) Config {
+	if path_to_load := opts.load_from_path {
+		assert path_to_load.len > 0
+		// do some loading from file here
+		// return Config{}
+	}
+
+	return Config{
+		theme: theme.dark_theme
+		leader_key: ";"
+	}
+}
+
+pub fn (c Config) set_theme(name string) Config {
+	return Config{
+		...c
+		theme: if name == "dark" { theme.dark_theme } else { theme.light_theme }
+	}
+}
+
diff --git a/main.v b/main.v
index 5e50dd90..314eee5f 100644
--- a/main.v
+++ b/main.v
@@ -1,10 +1,13 @@
 module main
 
 import tauraamui.bobatea as tea
-import palette
+import cfg
 
 fn main() {
-	mut petal_model := PetalModel.new(palette.theme_bg_color, palette.fg_color(palette.theme_bg_color))
+	// config := cfg.Config.new(load_from_path: none).set_theme(cfg.light_theme_name)
+	config := cfg.Config.new(load_from_path: none)
+
+	mut petal_model := PetalModel.new(config)
 	mut app := tea.new_program(mut petal_model)
 	petal_model.app_send = app.send
 	app.run() or { panic('something went wrong! ${err}') }
diff --git a/petal.v b/petal.v
index 3581d5b3..a972e59d 100644
--- a/petal.v
+++ b/petal.v
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@ module main
 
 import os
 import tauraamui.bobatea as tea
+import cfg
+import theme
+import palette
 
 const dot = '•'
 
 struct PetalModel {
 mut:
 	app_send                ?fn (tea.Msg)
-	theme_fg_color          ?tea.Color
-	theme_bg_color          ?tea.Color
+	config                  cfg.Config @[required]
+	theme                   theme.Theme
 	first_frame             bool
 	active_screen           DebuggableModel // all screens are debuggable to help with live, well... debugging
 	clear_screen_next_frame bool
@@ -18,10 +21,10 @@ mut:
 	last_resize_height      int
 }
 
-fn PetalModel.new(theme_bg_color ?tea.Color, theme_fg_color ?tea.Color) PetalModel {
+fn PetalModel.new(config cfg.Config) PetalModel {
 	return PetalModel{
-		theme_bg_color: theme_bg_color
-		theme_fg_color: theme_fg_color
+		config: config
+		theme: config.theme
 		first_frame: true
 		active_screen: SplashScreenModel.new()
 	}
@@ -99,13 +102,9 @@ fn (mut m PetalModel) update(msg tea.Msg) (tea.Model, ?tea.Cmd) {
 
 fn (mut m PetalModel) view(mut ctx tea.Context) {
 	if m.first_frame {
-		if fg_color := m.theme_fg_color {
-			ctx.set_default_fg_color(fg_color)
-		}
-
-		if bg_color := m.theme_bg_color {
-			ctx.set_default_bg_color(bg_color)
-		}
+		bg_color := m.theme.bg_color
+		ctx.set_default_fg_color(palette.fg_color(bg_color))
+		ctx.set_default_bg_color(bg_color)
 		m.first_frame = false
 	}
 	mut screen := m.active_screen
diff --git a/theme.v b/theme.v
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..a6d2cd4c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/theme.v
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+module theme
+
+import tauraamui.bobatea as tea
+import palette
+
+pub const dark_theme_name  = "dark"
+pub const light_theme_name = "light"
+
+pub struct Theme{
+pub:
+	name                         string    @[required]
+	bg_color                     tea.Color @[required]
+	fg_color                     tea.Color
+	active_split_divider_color   tea.Color @[required]
+	inactive_split_divider_color tea.Color @[required]
+}
+
+pub const dark_theme = Theme{
+	name: "dark"
+	bg_color: palette.matte_black_bg_color
+	active_split_divider_color: palette.petal_pink_color
+	inactive_split_divider_color: palette.status_bar_bg_color
+}
+
+pub const light_theme = Theme{
+	name: "light"
+	bg_color: palette.matte_white_fg_color
+	active_split_divider_color: palette.petal_pink_color
+	inactive_split_divider_color: palette.status_bar_bg_color
+}
+