diff --git a/bumblebee/module.py b/bumblebee/module.py
index 8f005f6..e848ea4 100644
--- a/bumblebee/module.py
+++ b/bumblebee/module.py
@@ -6,4 +6,10 @@ class Module(object):
     def theme(self):
         return self._theme
 
+    def data(self):
+        pass
+
+    def state(self):
+        return "default"
+
 # vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py b/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
index b47bb73..a2cc3fb 100644
--- a/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
+++ b/bumblebee/outputs/i3.py
@@ -9,8 +9,11 @@ class i3bar(bumblebee.output.Output):
         return json.dumps({ "version": 1 }) + "["
 
     def add(self, obj):
+        theme = obj.theme()
         self._data.append({
-            "full_text": obj.data()
+            "full_text": "%s%s%s" % (theme.prefix(obj), obj.data(), theme.suffix(obj)),
+            "separator": False,
+            "separator_block_width": 0,
         })
 
     def get(self):
diff --git a/bumblebee/theme.py b/bumblebee/theme.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e095be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bumblebee/theme.py
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+import os
+import json
+
+class Theme:
+    def __init__(self, name="default"):
+        self._data = None
+        path = os.path.dirname(os.path.realpath(__file__))
+        with open("%s/themes/%s.json" % (path, name)) as f:
+            self._data = json.load(f)
+        self._defaults = self._data.get("defaults", {})
+
+    def _gettheme(self, obj, key):
+        module = obj.__module__.split(".")[-1]
+        module_theme = self._data.get(module, {})
+
+        value = getattr(obj, key)() if hasattr(obj, key) else ""
+        value = self._defaults.get(key, value)
+        value = module_theme.get(key, value)
+
+        return value
+
+    def prefix(self, obj):
+        return self._gettheme(obj, "prefix")
+
+    def suffix(self, obj):
+        return self._gettheme(obj, "suffix")
+
+# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/bumblebee/themes.py b/bumblebee/themes.py
deleted file mode 100644
index 3e5f001..0000000
--- a/bumblebee/themes.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,6 +0,0 @@
-
-class Theme:
-    def __init__(self, name):
-        pass
-
-# vim: tabstop=8 expandtab shiftwidth=4 softtabstop=4
diff --git a/bumblebee/themes/default.json b/bumblebee/themes/default.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d0e5e53
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bumblebee/themes/default.json
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+{
+	"defaults": {
+		"prefix": " ",
+		"suffix" : " "
+	},
+	"battery": {
+		"prefix": "bat "
+	},
+	"time": {
+	}
+}
diff --git a/bumblebee/themes/simple.json b/bumblebee/themes/simple.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 0db3279..0000000
--- a/bumblebee/themes/simple.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,3 +0,0 @@
-{
-
-}
diff --git a/i3bumblebee b/i3bumblebee
index 8b4602a..e74c12b 100755
--- a/i3bumblebee
+++ b/i3bumblebee
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import sys
 import time
 import argparse
 import importlib
-import bumblebee.themes
+import bumblebee.theme
 import bumblebee.outputs.i3
 
 def print_module_list():
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ def main():
         sys.exit(0)
 
     modules = []
-    theme = bumblebee.themes.Theme(args.theme)
+    theme = bumblebee.theme.Theme(args.theme) if args.theme else bumblebee.theme.Theme()
     for m in args.modules:
         # TODO: how to cleanly handle errors here?
         # (useful error messages)