As a WordPress expert, when it comes time to “skin” an application like WordPress, I find it easiest when you start with existing html. One of my first WordPress projects, a Tinnitus blog for Arches Tinnitus Formula, was just this. I started with a Blank WordPress Theme. While I’d like to give the creator credit for these files, these days, there are other kinds of “blank wordpress themes” that are more versatile. You could use wp framework or if you are looking for something more robust, you could check out the theme I’m using for this site: Thesis WordPress Theme.
Arches was pretty straight forward because I also built the html for the site many years ago. This was great because it allowed me to spend less time worrying about the HTML and gave me more time to focus on how WordPress needed to integrate. I spent my time making sure the body content like pages and posts, looked good and matched the existing web site. It was important to me that the user have a seamless experience when moving from the blog to the rest of the web site. To keep things consistent, the top and left navigation stayed the same, but I used the right hand column to introduce blog navigation.
All in all, I’mhappy with the Arches blog. As a custom wordpress template it isn’t necessarily the most inventive or groundbreaking, but it is solid work and I achieved the goal: a WordPress theme to match the design of the existing site. If I were to do the blog today, the only difference I would make is to use a more up-to-date blank theme like Thesis. The good news is the client is very happy, and that is the real measure of success.
