Firefox + Stylish = 10 Extremely Beautiful Websites

You’ve been looking at those same websites - Google, Youtube, Wikipedia - for years now, and you’re sick of their boring design? It’s time to take matters into your own hands. Install Stylish - a Firefox extension that lets you change the CSS of most websites - and really take back the web. We’ve chosen 10 great picks for you to start from.

If you aren’t familiar with Stylish, installing and using it is easy as pie. Get it here. Installing the scripts is similar to Greasemonkey, and in most cases it only requires clicking on the “Install Script” button. Sometimes, you might need to tweak the script a bit to include a localized version of a website - for example, what works on Google.com might not work on Google.de without adding an extra parameter to the script. Other than that, Stylish is very simple to use and manage.

Dark Google

A fun fact reappears on popular web sites every now and then - Google, with its whiteness, is actually costing more energy than if it were black, because an LCD screen needs more energy to shine bright white than black. It’s time to save the planet and get that cool 1337 look on Google with Google Dark Grey Redesign. Make sure you try the original blue version, too.

http://userstyles.org/styles/1693

Gray YouTube

From the same author who created Google Dark Grey comes YouTube Dark Grey redesign. And, dark it definitely is. And we love it; it makes YouTube almost look cool!

http://userstyles.org/styles/1078

Dark Digg

Yeah, yeah, we admit it: we love dark things. When it comes to usability, white is probably the best color for usability, but we’ve decided to throw usability out the window and enjoy the darkness. This script will paint Digg dark gray, and although it’s a bit rough around the edges, it’s still nice enough and quite usable.

Be sure to check this take on Digg as well, and if you always wanted Digg’s menu to be on the right site, this script should be right up your alley.

http://userstyles.org/styles/1559

Gmail Air

Gmail Air is a script with a subtle effect: at first you won’t notice any change, but try turning it off and you’ll see that it actually does make Gmail more enjoyable. If you’re into brushed metal look, make sure to try this one.

http://userstyles.org/styles/1833

Wikipedia Gray Lady

This script does quite a number on Wikipedia, making it a lot easier on the eyes. The extent of these changes might not suit everyone, but after you get used to it you might find that it is indeed better than the standard Wikipedia look.

http://userstyles.org/styles/1365

Dark Firefox about:blank

Some people prefer their Firefox to initially open to the about:blank page. Since this page is, well, blank, why not make it a bit more cheerful? This Stylish skin turns the whiteness into dark gray, and slaps a blue Firefox logo in the middle.

http://userstyles.org/styles/2433

Light Firefox about:blank

And, if you want your about:blank page to stay white, but you’d like a huge Firefox logo on it, choose this one.

The installation procedure for it is a bit different, so here’s a quick rundown (works for all other manual installations of stylish scripts). After installing stylish, you’ll notice a notebook icon in the lower right corner of Firefox. Right click it, and choose Write Style - blank. Then just copy and paste the script into that and save it. Voila, you’re done.

http://blog.mzzt.net/2007/04/10/aboutblank/

DAogle

Fans of the popular art community DeviantArt will love this one, as it gives Google a complete DA-flavored remake. Expect a lot of olive green, a cool new logo, and some other neat details.

http://userstyles.org/styles/2399

Reddit at night

A very, very dark Reddit. We find it quite usable and perhaps a little depressing. If you don’t like eternal darkness, you might want to check out the extremely minimalist version of Reddit

http://userstyles.org/styles/529

Google Reader, OSX style

Here’s one for all you Mac fiends out there: Google Reader in OSX flavor. And, we have to admit: this is one of the best Stylish scripts we’ve seen, and it really makes the otherwise quite unattractive Google Reader shine. Unfortunately, you’re gonna have trouble finding some of Google Reader’s features, so this one will be more suited for those who already pimped out their GR functionality-wise and now just want to enhance its looks.

http://userstyles.org/styles/2318

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