diff --git a/packages/theme/src/baseTheme.ts b/packages/theme/src/baseTheme.ts
index 998442fe10..d924ae171c 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/baseTheme.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/baseTheme.ts
@@ -16,20 +16,20 @@
 
 import { createMuiTheme } from '@material-ui/core';
 import { darken, lighten } from '@material-ui/core/styles/colorManipulator';
-import { blue, yellow } from '@material-ui/core/colors';
+
 import {
   BackstageTheme,
   BackstageThemeOptions,
-  BackstageColorScheme,
+  BackstagePaletteOptions,
 } from './types';
 
 type Overrides = Partial<BackstageTheme['overrides']>;
 
 export function createThemeOptions(
-  type: 'light' | 'dark',
-  colors: BackstageColorScheme,
+  palette: BackstagePaletteOptions,
 ): BackstageThemeOptions {
   return {
+    palette,
     props: {
       MuiGrid: {
         spacing: 2,
@@ -38,44 +38,6 @@ export function createThemeOptions(
         color: 'primary',
       },
     },
-    palette: {
-      type,
-      background: {
-        default: colors.PAGE_BACKGROUND,
-      },
-      status: {
-        ok: colors.STATUS_OK,
-        warning: colors.STATUS_WARNING,
-        error: colors.STATUS_ERROR,
-        running: '#BEBEBE',
-        pending: '#5BC0DE',
-        background: colors.NAMED_WHITE,
-      },
-      bursts: {
-        fontColor: colors.NAMED_WHITE,
-        slackChannelText: '#ddd',
-        backgroundColor: {
-          default: colors.DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_COLOR,
-        },
-      },
-      primary: {
-        main: blue[500],
-      },
-      border: '#E6E6E6',
-      textVerySubtle: '#DDD',
-      textSubtle: '#6E6E6E',
-      highlight: '#FFFBCC',
-      errorBackground: colors.ERROR_BACKGROUND_COLOR,
-      warningBackground: '#F59B23',
-      infoBackground: '#ebf5ff',
-      errorText: colors.ERROR_TEXT_COLOR,
-      infoText: colors.INFO_TEXT_COLOR,
-      warningText: colors.NAMED_WHITE,
-      linkHover: colors.LINK_TEXT_HOVER,
-      link: colors.LINK_TEXT,
-      gold: yellow.A700,
-      sidebar: colors.SIDEBAR_BACKGROUND_COLOR,
-    },
     typography: {
       fontFamily: '"Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Roboto, Arial, sans-serif',
       h5: {
@@ -225,13 +187,10 @@ export function createThemeOverrides(theme: BackstageTheme): Overrides {
   };
 }
 
-// Creates a Backstage MUI theme using a color scheme.
+// Creates a Backstage MUI theme using a palette.
 // The theme is created with the common Backstage options and component styles.
-export function createTheme(
-  type: 'light' | 'dark',
-  colors: BackstageColorScheme,
-): BackstageTheme {
-  const themeOptions = createThemeOptions(type, colors);
+export function createTheme(palette: BackstagePaletteOptions): BackstageTheme {
+  const themeOptions = createThemeOptions(palette);
   const baseTheme = createMuiTheme(themeOptions) as BackstageTheme;
   const overrides = createThemeOverrides(baseTheme);
   const theme = { ...baseTheme, overrides };
diff --git a/packages/theme/src/themes.ts b/packages/theme/src/themes.ts
index 1cb824bceb..eb36a37bf5 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/themes.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/themes.ts
@@ -15,37 +15,82 @@
  */
 
 import { createTheme } from 'baseTheme';
+import { blue, yellow } from '@material-ui/core/colors';
 
-export const lightTheme = createTheme('light', {
-  TEXT_COLOR: '#000',
-  PAGE_BACKGROUND: '#F8F8F8',
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_COLOR: '#7C3699',
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_LIGHT_COLOR: '#ECDBF2',
-  SIDEBAR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: '#171717',
-  ERROR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: '#FFEBEE',
-  ERROR_TEXT_COLOR: '#CA001B',
-  INFO_TEXT_COLOR: '#004e8a',
-  LINK_TEXT: '#0A6EBE',
-  LINK_TEXT_HOVER: '#2196F3',
-  NAMED_WHITE: '#FEFEFE',
-  STATUS_OK: '#1db855',
-  STATUS_WARNING: '#f49b20',
-  STATUS_ERROR: '#CA001B',
+export const lightTheme = createTheme({
+  type: 'light',
+  background: {
+    default: '#F8F8F8',
+  },
+  status: {
+    ok: '#1db855',
+    warning: '#f49b20',
+    error: '#CA001B',
+    running: '#BEBEBE',
+    pending: '#5BC0DE',
+    background: '#FEFEFE',
+  },
+  bursts: {
+    fontColor: '#FEFEFE',
+    slackChannelText: '#ddd',
+    backgroundColor: {
+      default: '#7C3699',
+    },
+  },
+  primary: {
+    main: blue[500],
+  },
+  border: '#E6E6E6',
+  textVerySubtle: '#DDD',
+  textSubtle: '#6E6E6E',
+  highlight: '#FFFBCC',
+  errorBackground: '#FFEBEE',
+  warningBackground: '#F59B23',
+  infoBackground: '#ebf5ff',
+  errorText: '#CA001B',
+  infoText: '#004e8a',
+  warningText: '#FEFEFE',
+  linkHover: '#2196F3',
+  link: '#0A6EBE',
+  gold: yellow.A700,
+  sidebar: '#171717',
 });
 
-export const darkTheme = createTheme('dark', {
-  TEXT_COLOR: '#fff',
-  PAGE_BACKGROUND: '#282828',
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_COLOR: '#7C3699',
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_LIGHT_COLOR: '#ECDBF2',
-  SIDEBAR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: '#424242',
-  ERROR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: '#FFEBEE',
-  ERROR_TEXT_COLOR: '#CA001B',
-  INFO_TEXT_COLOR: '#004e8a',
-  LINK_TEXT: '#0A6EBE',
-  LINK_TEXT_HOVER: '#2196F3',
-  NAMED_WHITE: '#FEFEFE',
-  STATUS_OK: '#1db855',
-  STATUS_WARNING: '#f49b20',
-  STATUS_ERROR: '#CA001B',
+export const darkTheme = createTheme({
+  type: 'dark',
+  background: {
+    default: '#282828',
+  },
+  status: {
+    ok: '#1db855',
+    warning: '#f49b20',
+    error: '#CA001B',
+    running: '#BEBEBE',
+    pending: '#5BC0DE',
+    background: '#FEFEFE',
+  },
+  bursts: {
+    fontColor: '#FEFEFE',
+    slackChannelText: '#ddd',
+    backgroundColor: {
+      default: '#7C3699',
+    },
+  },
+  primary: {
+    main: blue[500],
+  },
+  border: '#E6E6E6',
+  textVerySubtle: '#DDD',
+  textSubtle: '#6E6E6E',
+  highlight: '#FFFBCC',
+  errorBackground: '#FFEBEE',
+  warningBackground: '#F59B23',
+  infoBackground: '#ebf5ff',
+  errorText: '#CA001B',
+  infoText: '#004e8a',
+  warningText: '#FEFEFE',
+  linkHover: '#2196F3',
+  link: '#0A6EBE',
+  gold: yellow.A700,
+  sidebar: '#424242',
 });
diff --git a/packages/theme/src/types.ts b/packages/theme/src/types.ts
index 8f16f6bdd7..f0e43c54d1 100644
--- a/packages/theme/src/types.ts
+++ b/packages/theme/src/types.ts
@@ -20,23 +20,6 @@ import {
   Palette,
 } from '@material-ui/core/styles/createPalette';
 
-export type BackstageColorScheme = {
-  TEXT_COLOR: string;
-  PAGE_BACKGROUND: string;
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_COLOR: string;
-  DEFAULT_PAGE_THEME_LIGHT_COLOR: string;
-  SIDEBAR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: string;
-  ERROR_BACKGROUND_COLOR: string;
-  ERROR_TEXT_COLOR: string;
-  INFO_TEXT_COLOR: string;
-  LINK_TEXT: string;
-  LINK_TEXT_HOVER: string;
-  NAMED_WHITE: string;
-  STATUS_OK: string;
-  STATUS_WARNING: string;
-  STATUS_ERROR: string;
-};
-
 type PaletteAdditions = {
   status: {
     ok: string;