Islands Dark

A dark color theme for Visual Studio Code inspired by the easemate IDE. Features floating glass-like panels, rounded corners, smooth animations, and a deeply refined UI.

• easemate
• easemate Nav
• easemate effects

Features

• Deep dark canvas (#131217) with floating panels
• Glass-effect borders with directional light simulation (brighter top/left, subtle bottom/right)
• Rounded corners on all panels, notifications, command palette, and sidebars
• Pill-shaped activity bar with glass selection indicators
• Breadcrumb bar and status bar that dim when not hovered
• Tab close buttons that fade in on hover
• Smooth transitions on sidebar selections, scrollbars, and status bar
• Pill-shaped scrollbar thumbs
• Color-matched icon glow effect (works best with Seti Folder icon theme)
• Warm syntax highlighting with comprehensive language support (JS/TS, Python, Go, Rust, HTML/CSS, JSON, YAML, Markdown)
• IBM Plex Mono in the editor, FiraCode Nerd Font Mono in the terminal

Installation

This theme has two parts: a color theme and CSS customizations that create the floating glass panel look.

One-Liner Install (Recommended)

The fastest way to install:

macOS/Linux

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands/main/bootstrap.sh | bash

Windows

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands/main/bootstrap.ps1 | iex

Manual Clone Install

If you prefer to clone first:

macOS/Linux

git clone https://github.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands.git islands-dark
cd islands-dark
./install.sh

Windows

git clone https://github.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands.git islands-dark
cd islands-dark
.\install.ps1

The scripts will automatically:

• ✅ Install the Islands Dark theme extension
• ✅ Install the Custom UI Style extension
• ✅ Install Bear Sans UI fonts
• ✅ Back up your existing settings and apply Islands Dark settings
• ✅ Enable Custom UI Style and reload VS Code

Note: IBM Plex Mono and FiraCode Nerd Font Mono must be installed separately (the script will remind you).

Nix Flake Install

If you use Nix, you can run a pre-configured instance of VS Code (or VSCodium) with the theme, extensions, and fonts already bundled.

To run it directly without installing:

# Run VS Code
nix run github:bwya77/vscode-dark-islands#vscode

# Or run VSCodium
nix run github:bwya77/vscode-dark-islands#vscodium

To use it in your NixOS or Home Manager configuration, add it to your flake inputs:

{
  inputs.islands-dark.url = "github:bwya77/vscode-dark-islands";

  outputs = { self, nixpkgs, islands-dark, ... }: {
    # Then you can add and use it:
    # islands-dark.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.vscode
    # islands-dark.packages.${pkgs.stdenv.hostPlatform.system}.vscodium
  };
}

Note: The Nix flake automatically includes the Custom UI Style extension, Seti Folder icon theme, and all required fonts (Bear Sans UI, IBM Plex Mono, and FiraCode Nerd Font). It will also copy the recommended settings.json on the first run.

Manual Installation

If you prefer to install manually, follow these steps:

Step 1: Install the theme

Clone this repo and copy the extension files:

git clone https://github.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands.git islands-dark
cd islands-dark
mkdir -p ~/.vscode/extensions/bwya77.islands-dark-1.0.0
cp package.json ~/.vscode/extensions/bwya77.islands-dark-1.0.0/
cp -r themes ~/.vscode/extensions/bwya77.islands-dark-1.0.0/

On Windows (PowerShell):

git clone https://github.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands.git islands-dark
cd islands-dark
$ext = "$env:USERPROFILE\.vscode\extensions\bwya77.islands-dark-1.0.0"
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $ext -Force
Copy-Item package.json $ext\
Copy-Item themes $ext\themes -Recurse

Step 2: Install the Custom UI Style extension

The floating panels, rounded corners, glass borders, and animations are powered by the Custom UI Style extension.

1. Open Extensions in VS Code: (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for Custom UI Style (by subframe7536)
3. Click Install

Step 3: Install recommended icon theme

For the best experience with the color-matched icon glow effect, install the Seti Folder icon theme:

1. Open Extensions in VS Code (Cmd+Shift+X / Ctrl+Shift+X)
2. Search for Seti Folder (by l-igh-t)
3. Click Install
4. Set it as your icon theme: Command Palette > Preferences: File Icon Theme > Seti Folder

Step 5: Install fonts

This theme uses two fonts:

• IBM Plex Mono — used in the editor
• FiraCode Nerd Font Mono — used in the terminal
• Bear Sans UI — used in the sidebar, tabs, command center, and status bar (included in fonts/ folder)

To install Bear Sans UI:

1. Open the fonts/ folder in this repo
2. Select all .otf files and double-click to open in Font Book (macOS) or right-click > Install (Windows)

If you prefer different fonts, update the editor.fontFamily, terminal.integrated.fontFamily, and font-family values in the settings.

Step 6: Apply the settings

Copy the contents of settings.json from this repo into your VS Code: settings:

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Search for Preferences: Open User Settings (JSON)
3. Merge the contents of this repo's settings.json into your settings file

Note: If you already have existing settings, merge carefully. The key settings are workbench.colorTheme, custom-ui-style.stylesheet, and the font/indent preferences.

Step 7: Enable Custom UI Style

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P)
2. Run Custom UI Style: Enable
3. VS Code will reload

Note: You may see a "corrupt installation" warning after enabling. This is expected since Custom UI Style injects CSS into VS Code. Click the gear icon on the warning and select Don't Show Again.

What the CSS customizations do

Element	Effect
Canvas	Deep dark background (--islands-bg-canvas) behind all panels
Sidebar	Floating with rounded corners (--islands-panel-radius), glass borders, drop shadow
Editor	Floating with rounded corners (--islands-panel-radius), glass borders, browser-tab effect
Activity bar	Pill-shaped with glass inset shadows, circular selection indicator
Command center	Pill-shaped with glass effect
Bottom panel	Floating with rounded corners (--islands-panel-radius), glass borders
Right sidebar	Floating with rounded corners (--islands-panel-radius), glass borders
Notifications	Rounded corners (--islands-widget-radius), glass borders, deep drop shadow
Command palette	Rounded corners (--islands-widget-radius), glass borders, rounded list rows
Scrollbars	Pill-shaped thumbs with fade transition
Tabs	Browser-tab style (active tab open at bottom), close button fades in on hover
Breadcrumbs	Hidden until hover with smooth fade transition
Status bar	Dimmed text that brightens on hover
File icons	Color-matched glow via drop-shadow (best with Seti Folder icon theme)

Customization

All key visual properties are controlled by CSS custom properties defined at the top of the custom-ui-style.stylesheet in settings.json. Edit the variables on .monaco-workbench to quickly adjust the look:

".monaco-workbench": {
    "--islands-panel-radius": "24px",
    "--islands-widget-radius": "14px",
    "--islands-input-radius": "12px",
    "--islands-item-radius": "6px",
    "--islands-panel-gap": "8px",
    "--islands-panel-top": "8px",
    "--islands-bg-canvas": "#121216",
    "--islands-bg-surface": "#181a1d",
    "background-color": "var(--islands-bg-canvas) !important"
}

Colors

Variable	Default	Applies to
--islands-bg-canvas	#121216	Deep background behind all panels (workbench, title bar, status bar, activity bar)
--islands-bg-surface	#181a1d	Panel/surface background (chat input, editor widgets)

These two colors define the theme's depth. The canvas is the darker base layer visible between panels, while the surface is the slightly lighter color used for interactive elements. To override the theme's panel colors (sidebar, editor, terminal backgrounds), use VS Code's workbench.colorCustomizations in your settings.

Border Radius

Variable	Default	Applies to
--islands-panel-radius	24px	Sidebar, editor, terminal/bottom panel, auxiliary bar
--islands-widget-radius	14px	Notifications, chat input, command palette
--islands-input-radius	12px	Search bars, SCM commit input, buttons, hover tooltips
--islands-item-radius	6px	List rows, tabs, pane headers, terminal tabs

For example, to make everything sharper, set all values to 8px. For a fully rounded look, try 32px / 20px / 16px / 8px. Pill-shaped elements (activity bar, scrollbar thumbs, command center, badges) are not affected by these variables.

Panel Spacing

Variable	Default	Applies to
--islands-panel-gap	8px	Horizontal spacing between sidebar, editor, chat/auxiliary bar, terminal, and notifications
--islands-panel-top	8px	Top margin of panels (space below the title bar)

Increase to 12px or 16px for a more spaced-out layout, or reduce to 4px for a tighter look.

Troubleshooting

Changes aren't taking effect

Try disabling and re-enabling Custom UI Style:

1. Command Palette > Custom UI Style: Disable
2. Reload VS Code
3. Command Palette > Custom UI Style: Enable
4. Reload VS Code

"Corrupt installation" warning

This is expected after enabling Custom UI Style. Dismiss it or select Don't Show Again.

Previously used "Custom CSS and JS Loader" extension

If you previously used the Custom CSS and JS Loader extension (be5invis.vscode-custom-css), it may have injected CSS directly into VS Code's workbench.html that persists even after disabling. If styles conflict, reinstall VS Code to get a clean workbench.html, then use only Custom UI Style.

Uninstalling

Run the uninstall script to restore your VS Code to its previous state:

macOS/Linux:

# If you still have the repo cloned:
cd islands-dark
./uninstall.sh

# Or download and run directly:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands/main/uninstall.sh | bash

Windows (PowerShell):

# If you still have the repo cloned:
cd islands-dark
.\uninstall.ps1

# Or download and run directly:
irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/bwya77/vscode-dark-islands/main/uninstall.ps1 | iex

The uninstall script will:

• Restore your previous settings from the settings.json.pre-islands-dark backup
• Remove the Islands Dark theme extension
• Unregister the extension from VS Code

After running the script, you'll need to:

1. Open Command Palette (Cmd+Shift+P / Ctrl+Shift+P) and run Custom UI Style: Disable
2. Open Command Palette and search Preferences: Color Theme to select a new theme
3. Reload VS Code

Credits

Inspired by the JetBrains Islands Dark UI theme.

License

MIT