diff --git a/src/args.jl b/src/args.jl
index 390ba5f1..e2586610 100644
--- a/src/args.jl
+++ b/src/args.jl
@@ -417,6 +417,7 @@ const _all_defaults = KW[
 ]
 
 const _initial_defaults = deepcopy(_all_defaults)
+const _initial_axis_defaults = deepcopy(_axis_defaults)
 
 # to be able to reset font sizes to initial values
 const _initial_fontsizes = Dict(:titlefontsize  => _subplot_defaults[:titlefontsize],
@@ -616,7 +617,10 @@ function default(d::KW, k::Symbol)
     get(d, k, default(k))
 end
 
-reset_defaults() = foreach(merge!, _all_defaults, _initial_defaults)
+function reset_defaults()
+    foreach(merge!, _all_defaults, _initial_defaults)
+    merge!(_axis_defaults, _initial_axis_defaults)
+end
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
diff --git a/src/themes.jl b/src/themes.jl
index 840078dd..adf9df24 100644
--- a/src/themes.jl
+++ b/src/themes.jl
@@ -4,43 +4,166 @@
 Specify the colour theme for plots.
 """
 function theme(s::Symbol; kw...)
-    # reset?
-    if s == :none || s == :default
-        PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
-        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
-        default(;
-            bg        = :white,
-            bglegend  = :match,
-            bginside  = :match,
-            bgoutside = :match,
-            fg        = :auto,
-            fglegend  = :match,
-            fggrid    = :match,
-            fgaxis    = :match,
-            fgtext    = :match,
-            fgborder  = :match,
-            fgguide   = :match,
-            palette   = :auto
-        )
-        return
-    end
+    defaults = _get_defaults(s)
+    _theme(s, defaults; kw...)
+end
 
-    # update the default gradient and other defaults
+function _get_defaults(s::Symbol)
     thm = PlotThemes._themes[s]
-    if thm.gradient != nothing
+    if :defaults in fieldnames(thm)
+        return thm.defaults
+    else # old PlotTheme type
+        defaults = KW(
+            :bg       => thm.bg_secondary,
+            :bginside => thm.bg_primary,
+            :fg       => thm.lines,
+            :fgtext   => thm.text,
+            :fgguide  => thm.text,
+            :fglegend => thm.text,
+            :palette  => thm.palette,
+        )
+        if thm.gradient != nothing
+            push!(defaults, :gradient => thm.gradient)
+        end
+        return defaults
+    end
+end
+
+function _theme(s::Symbol, defaults::KW; kw...)
+    # Reset to defaults to overwrite active theme
+    reset_defaults()
+
+    # Set the theme's gradient as default
+    if haskey(defaults, :gradient)
         PlotUtils.clibrary(:misc)
         PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = PlotThemes.gradient_name(s))
+    else
+        PlotUtils.clibrary(:Plots)
+        PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = :inferno)
     end
-    default(;
-        bg       = thm.bg_secondary,
-        bginside = thm.bg_primary,
-        fg       = thm.lines,
-        fgtext   = thm.text,
-        fgguide  = thm.text,
-        fglegend = thm.text,
-        palette  = thm.palette,
-        kw...
-    )
+
+    # maybe overwrite the theme's gradient
+    kw = KW(kw)
+    if haskey(kw, :gradient)
+        kwgrad = pop!(kw, :gradient)
+        for clib in clibraries()
+            if kwgrad in cgradients(clib)
+                PlotUtils.clibrary(clib)
+                PlotUtils.default_cgrad(default = :sequential, sequential = kwgrad)
+                break
+            end
+        end
+    end
+
+    # Set the theme's defaults
+    default(; defaults..., kw...)
+    return
 end
 
 @deprecate set_theme(s) theme(s)
+
+@userplot ShowTheme
+
+_color_functions = KW(
+    :protanopic => protanopic,
+    :deuteranopic => deuteranopic,
+    :tritanopic => tritanopic,
+)
+_get_showtheme_args(thm::Symbol) = thm, identity
+_get_showtheme_args(thm::Symbol, func::Symbol) = thm, get(_color_functions, func, identity)
+
+@recipe function showtheme(st::ShowTheme)
+    thm, cfunc = _get_showtheme_args(st.args...)
+    defaults = _get_defaults(thm)
+
+    # get the gradient
+    gradient_colors = pop!(defaults, :gradient, cgrad(:inferno).colors)
+    gradient = cgrad(cfunc.(RGB.(gradient_colors)))
+
+    # get the palette
+    palette = pop!(defaults, :palette, get_color_palette(:auto, plot_color(:white), 17))
+    palette = cfunc.(RGB.(palette))
+
+    # apply the theme
+    for k in keys(defaults)
+        def = defaults[k]
+        arg = get(_keyAliases, k, k)
+        plotattributes[arg] = if typeof(def) <: Colorant
+            cfunc(RGB(def))
+        elseif eltype(def) <: Colorant
+            cfunc.(RGB.(def))
+        elseif contains(string(arg), "color")
+            cfunc.(RGB.(plot_color.(def)))
+        else
+            def
+        end
+    end
+
+    srand(1)
+
+    label := ""
+    colorbar := false
+    layout := (2, 3)
+
+    for j in 1:4
+        @series begin
+            subplot := 1
+            palette := palette
+            seriestype := :path
+            linewidth := 2
+            cumsum(randn(50))
+        end
+
+        @series begin
+            subplot := 2
+            seriestype := :scatter
+            palette := palette
+            markersize := 5
+            markerstrokewidth := 0
+            marker := (:circle, :diamond, :star5, :square)[j]
+            randn(10), randn(10)
+        end
+    end
+
+    @series begin
+        subplot := 3
+        seriestype := :histogram
+        palette := palette
+        randn(1000) .+ (0:2:4)'
+    end
+
+    f(r) = sin(r) / r
+    _norm(x, y) = norm([x, y])
+    x = y = linspace(-3π, 3π, 30)
+    z = f.(_norm.(x, y'))
+    wi = 2:3:30
+
+    @series begin
+        subplot := 4
+        seriestype := :heatmap
+        seriescolor := gradient
+        x, y, z
+    end
+
+    @series begin
+        subplot := 5
+        seriestype := :surface
+        seriescolor := gradient
+        x, y, z
+    end
+
+    n = 100
+    ts = linspace(0, 10π, n)
+    x = ts .* cos.(ts)
+    y = (0.1ts) .* sin.(ts)
+    z = 1:n
+
+    @series begin
+        subplot := 6
+        seriescolor := gradient
+        linewidth := 3
+        line_z := z
+        x, y, z
+    end
+
+end