Theme Adapters

Panels built on dj_control_room_base render with the classic Django admin palette by default. For projects using a themed admin skin, this package ships theme adapters - small stylesheets that remap DCR's --dcr-* design tokens onto the host skin's own CSS variables, so panels blend in instead of clashing with the rest of the admin.

Adapters live under dj_control_room_base/css/themes/. With the default THEME_AUTO_DETECT = True, PanelConfig detects the active admin skin from INSTALLED_APPS and injects either a first-class adapter or a general light/dark pin through the same pipeline as EXTRA_CSS. Turn it off to opt out and load an adapter manually:

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "THEME_AUTO_DETECT": True,  # default
    # Or opt out:
    # "THEME_AUTO_DETECT": False,
    # "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/unfold.css"],
}

See Configuration - Theme adapters for the full settings reference, general pin fallbacks, and dark-mode wiring. This page is a visual tour of what's currently supported.

Compatibility status

Admin skin	`INSTALLED_APPS` label	Status	Stylesheet
Classic Django admin	—	Built-in (no adapter needed)	—
django-unfold	`unfold`	First-class adapter	`themes/unfold.css`
django-jazzmin	`jazzmin`	First-class adapter	`themes/jazzmin.css`
django-grappelli	`grappelli`	First-class adapter	`themes/grappelli.css`
django-admin-interface	`admin_interface`	First-class adapter	`themes/admin-interface.css`
django-admin-dracula	`django_admin_dracula`	First-class adapter	`themes/dracula.css`
django-simpleui	`simpleui`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
django-semantic-admin	`semantic_admin`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
django-admin-kubi	`django_admin_kubi`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
django-daisy	`django_daisy`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
django-jet-reboot	`jet`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
djangocms-admin-style	`djangocms_admin_style`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`
bootstrap-admin	`bootstrap_admin`	General light pin	`themes/general-light.css`

django-unfold

django-unfold themes are driven by --color-primary-*, --color-base-*, and --color-font-* CSS variables. themes/unfold.css remaps DCR's accent, surface, border, and muted-text tokens onto those variables, so panels automatically pick up whatever brand color the project has configured for Unfold - light or dark mode included.

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/unfold.css"],
}

Django Control Room running with the django-unfold admin theme

django-jazzmin

django-jazzmin is built on Bootstrap 5 and ships as a set of Bootswatch skins, selected via JAZZMIN_UI_TWEAKS["theme"]. themes/jazzmin.css maps DCR's tokens onto Bootstrap's own CSS variables, so panels track whichever theme is active, including Jazzmin's dark skins, without any extra configuration.

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/jazzmin.css"],
}

Django Control Room running with the django-jazzmin admin theme

All of Jazzmin's built-in Bootswatch themes are covered, each with its own accent color and (for the dark ones) matching surface/border/text fallbacks:

Light themes	Dark themes
`cerulean`, `cosmo`, `flatly`, `journal`, `litera`, `lumen`, `lux`, `materia`, `minty`, `pulse`, `sandstone`, `simplex`, `sketchy`, `spacelab`, `united`, `yeti`	`cyborg`, `darkly`, `slate`, `solar`, `superhero`

See ui_customisation for the full list of themes Jazzmin ships.

django-grappelli

django-grappelli support via themes/grappelli.css, matching its teal accent and boxy, light-only look.

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/grappelli.css"],
}

Django Control Room running with the django-grappelli admin theme

django-admin-interface

django-admin-interface

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/admin-interface.css"],
}

Django Control Room running with the django-admin-interface admin theme

django-admin-dracula

django-admin-dracula overrides Django admin CSS with the Dracula palette and supports light / dark / auto via Django's data-theme toggle. themes/dracula.css remaps DCR tokens onto Dracula's --body-*, --default-button-bg, and --dracula-* variables so panels track both modes (purple accent, cyan/pink/green semantic colors).

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/dracula.css"],
}

Django Control Room running with the django-admin-dracula theme

General light and dark pins (unsupported skins)

Skins without a first-class adapter get a pinned palette when auto-detect finds them first in INSTALLED_APPS:

themes/general-light.css for light-chrome skins (for example django-simpleui or django-semantic-admin)
themes/general-dark.css for dark-chrome skins

These pins keep panel surfaces aligned with the host chrome; they do not attempt brand remapping.

DJ_MY_PANEL_SETTINGS = {
    "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/general-light.css"],
    # Or:
    # "EXTRA_CSS": ["dj_control_room_base/css/themes/general-dark.css"],
}

See Configuration - General light and dark pins for the recognized app labels.

Build your own

Want to support another admin skin? Use unfold.css, jazzmin.css, grappelli.css, admin-interface.css, or dracula.css as a starting point and remap the --dcr-* tokens to match. Until then, a general light or dark pin keeps panels readable under that skin.