WindowBlinds lets you easily skin and customize Windows 10
How do you add custom skins to Windows 10?

Stardock makes an array of powerful customization tools for Windows, but few are as great as WindowBlinds. And the tool just got updated for the Windows 10 Creators Update, allowing users to easily, quickly, and safely skin the entirety of Windows.
Here's a quick look at how it all works.
You can pick up WindowBlinds from Stardock's website (opens in new tab) for the reasonable price of $9.99. It also comes with a free trial if you want to give it a test run.
Unlike other skinning methods for Windows, WindowBlinds does all the heavy lifting for you, and it's wrapped in a neat and intuitive UI.
It comes with an array of pre-installed themes, but you can also grab more from WinCustomize, and they instantly install themselves into WindowBlind for use.
Here are a few examples of content you can grab from WinCustomize's WindowBlinds section:
When you select a skin for customization, you can also modify various other aspects of the skin before you apply it.
Here's what you can alter before committing, but note that not all skins support full customization, particularly the community-created ones on WinCustomize:
- Change the accent colors.
- Use your own fonts.
- Add textures to windows.
- Alter transparency.
If you dive deep into the settings, you can further customize the behavior of applicable skins. For example, some skins come with custom Start menu icons, and the settings menu allows you to disable them, and much more.
In the settings, you can customize:
- WindowBlinds' appearing in the system tray.
- Toggling sounds that come with skins.
- Toggling the Windows 10 pixel frames.
- The default Start menu icon.
- Toggling which menus appear in Explorer.
- Toggling system or skin accent colors.
- Toggling accent colors on backgrounds.
- Toggling the ribbon in Explorer.
- Using different skins for different features.
- The taskbar size.
- Special settings for clicking on window title bars.
You can also change settings per application, for endless amounts of additional customization.
After playing around a bit, here's what my desktop looks like with WindowBlinds' Ice skin active and my default, standard desktop:
As you can see, WindowBlinds skins Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, as well as Win32 features, making it pervasive throughout the OS.
Final thoughts on WindowBlinds
WindowBlinds is a tremendous tool for the rapid customization of Windows 10, an OS that doesn't offer a huge amount of features for changing its style. The Windows 10 Creators Update allows us to add our own custom accent colors, but it pales in comparison to the unique textures, skins, and various other customization features available in WindowBlinds.
At $9.99, it's a great value for a lifetime license that lets you modify the look of Windows. Not everyone will be interested in this capability, but if you want to stand out in a world dominated by flat, metro-style designs, WindowBlinds is the worthy answer.
See WindowBlinds at Stardock (opens in new tab)
Windows Central Newsletter
Get the best of Windows Central in your inbox, every day!
Jez Corden a Managing Editor at Windows Central, focusing primarily on all things Xbox and gaming. Jez is known for breaking exclusive news and analysis as relates to the Microsoft ecosystem while being powered by caffeine. Follow on Twitter @JezCorden and listen to his Xbox Two podcast, all about, you guessed it, Xbox!
-
This just shows me how good the UI for Windows 10 really is, im sure some people will like this Blinds style, but im glad the days of Vista Design are long gone. That being said id love an easy tool for replacing all of the Icons with premade icons that fit a theme like i used to do on Jailbroken iPhones
-
Stardock has IconPackager which is probably what you're looking for. It allows you to change icon themes, but I've never used it. http://www.stardock.com/products/iconpackager/
-
I would want it only IF it DID give me a Vista theme. Vista was a gorgeous, beautiful layout for Windows. All the Vista-hate is SUCH B.S.! Visually, it was the most beautiful look Windows has EVER had.
-
I've used WB years ago and some of their other tools like Fences. I'd like to see them offered though the Windows Store because I'd be more inclined to purchase them on a whim. Simplified transactions would be a huge win for all companies like Stardock.
-
I used WindowBlinds back when i was running Xp and it was awesome. I was able to create and add my own skins and animations and timing. I'm definitely going to get back into reskinning my pc.
-
Was this on here the other day too or was that a similar product from another company?
-
That one talked about how WindowBlinds was updated for the Creators Update. This one is mostly just information about it.
-
Are there chances of device getting bricked after putting these themes?
-
No. It's actually a very stable app.
-
Reminds me of LiteStep. Minimalistic yet powerful, skinable. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=litestep&id=541B1A726457DDB016C79EA...
-
What can it do for for the action center and live tiles and startmenu background what you already can do with settings?
-
Window Blinds was fun when it first came out many years ago. But after decades of using Windows on my computers, I no longer really care about insignificant things like this. Lots of fun for newbies and such but for experienced users? Totally pointless.
-
Yeah, I enjoyed this kinda stuff when I was new to computers but since I've become more of a power user I prefer to keep it simple.
-
My favourite Stardock software, which I HIGHLY recommend, is Fences. It's a wonderful way to keep your desktop clean while keeping all your icons still there.
-
Will this ever get mobile? Newbie or not, it'll really make the phone beautiful... Had used it in the past when i was also a newbie to pc. Real fun. Wondered what it would be like on W10M...