diff --git a/examples/terminal_default.rs b/examples/terminal_default.rs
index 2d9304a..af1fb42 100644
--- a/examples/terminal_default.rs
+++ b/examples/terminal_default.rs
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ fn custom_theme_from_cursive(siv: &Cursive) -> Theme {
     // We'll return the current theme with a small modification.
     let mut theme = siv.current_theme().clone();
 
-    theme.palette.colors[PaletteColor::Background] = Color::TerminalDefault;
+    theme.palette[PaletteColor::Background] = Color::TerminalDefault;
 
     theme
 }
diff --git a/src/cursive.rs b/src/cursive.rs
index 6ba61ea..e317498 100644
--- a/src/cursive.rs
+++ b/src/cursive.rs
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ impl Cursive {
     /// Users rarely have to call this directly.
     pub fn clear(&self) {
         self.backend
-            .clear(self.theme.palette.colors[theme::PaletteColor::Background]);
+            .clear(self.theme.palette[theme::PaletteColor::Background]);
     }
 
     /// Loads a theme from the given file.
diff --git a/src/printer.rs b/src/printer.rs
index b7ffe44..5f24c5f 100644
--- a/src/printer.rs
+++ b/src/printer.rs
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ impl<'a> Printer<'a> {
     ///
     /// Users rarely need to call this directly.
     pub fn clear(&self) {
-        self.backend.clear(self.theme.palette.colors[PaletteColor::Background]);
+        self.backend.clear(self.theme.palette[PaletteColor::Background]);
     }
 
     /// Returns `true` if nothing has been printed yet.
diff --git a/src/theme/color.rs b/src/theme/color.rs
index 0c5b82a..6828f01 100644
--- a/src/theme/color.rs
+++ b/src/theme/color.rs
@@ -58,9 +58,13 @@ pub enum Color {
     TerminalDefault,
 
     /// One of the 8 base colors.
+    ///
+    /// Note: the actual color used depends on the terminal configuration.
     Dark(BaseColor),
 
     /// Lighter version of a base color.
+    ///
+    /// Note: the actual color used depends on the terminal configuration.
     Light(BaseColor),
 
     /// True-color, 24-bit.
diff --git a/src/theme/mod.rs b/src/theme/mod.rs
index bd0aad8..965be8a 100644
--- a/src/theme/mod.rs
+++ b/src/theme/mod.rs
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ pub use self::color::{BaseColor, Color};
 pub use self::color_pair::ColorPair;
 pub use self::color_style::{ColorStyle, ColorType};
 pub use self::effect::Effect;
-pub use self::palette::{Palette, PaletteColor};
+pub use self::palette::{Palette, PaletteColor, default_palette};
 pub use self::style::Style;
 use std::fs::File;
 use std::io;
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ impl Default for Theme {
         Theme {
             shadow: true,
             borders: BorderStyle::Simple,
-            palette: Palette::default(),
+            palette: default_palette(),
         }
     }
 }
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ impl Theme {
         }
 
         if let Some(&toml::Value::Table(ref table)) = table.get("colors") {
-            self.palette.load(table);
+            palette::load_table(&mut self.palette, table);
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/theme/palette.rs b/src/theme/palette.rs
index b9cbd23..a2915d6 100644
--- a/src/theme/palette.rs
+++ b/src/theme/palette.rs
@@ -1,82 +1,91 @@
 use super::Color;
-use toml;
 use enum_map::EnumMap;
+use toml;
 
 /// Color configuration for the application.
 ///
 /// Assign each color role an actual color.
-#[derive(Clone, Copy, Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Hash)]
-pub struct Palette {
-    /// Color map for this palette
-    pub colors: EnumMap<PaletteColor, Color>,
-}
+///
+/// It implements `Index` and `IndexMut` to access and modify this mapping:
+///
+/// # Example
+///
+/// ```rust
+/// # use cursive::theme;
+/// use cursive::theme::PaletteColor::*;
+/// use cursive::theme::Color::*;
+/// use cursive::theme::BaseColor::*;
+///
+/// let mut palette = theme::default_palette();
+///
+/// assert_eq!(palette[Background], Dark(Blue));
+/// palette[Shadow] = Light(Red);
+/// ```
+pub type Palette = EnumMap<PaletteColor, Color>;
 
-impl Default for Palette {
-    fn default() -> Self {
-        use self::PaletteColor::*;
-        use theme::Color::*;
-        use theme::BaseColor::*;
+/// Returns the default palette for a cursive application.
+///
+/// * `Background` => `Dark(Blue)`
+/// * `Shadow` => `Dark(Black)`
+/// * `View` => `Dark(White)`
+/// * `Primary` => `Dark(Black)`
+/// * `Secondary` => `Dark(Blue)`
+/// * `Tertiary` => `Dark(White)`
+/// * `TitlePrimary` => `Dark(Red)`
+/// * `TitleSecondary` => `Dark(Yellow)`
+/// * `Highlight` => `Dark(Red)`
+/// * `HighlightInactive` => `Dark(Blue)`
+pub fn default_palette() -> Palette {
+    use self::PaletteColor::*;
+    use theme::BaseColor::*;
+    use theme::Color::*;
 
-        Palette {
-            colors: enum_map!{
-                Background => Dark(Blue),
-                Shadow => Dark(Black),
-                View => Dark(White),
-                Primary => Dark(Black),
-                Secondary => Dark(Blue),
-                Tertiary => Dark(White),
-                TitlePrimary => Dark(Red),
-                TitleSecondary => Dark(Yellow),
-                Highlight => Dark(Red),
-                HighlightInactive => Dark(Blue),
-            }
-        }
+    enum_map!{
+        Background => Dark(Blue),
+        Shadow => Dark(Black),
+        View => Dark(White),
+        Primary => Dark(Black),
+        Secondary => Dark(Blue),
+        Tertiary => Dark(White),
+        TitlePrimary => Dark(Red),
+        TitleSecondary => Dark(Yellow),
+        Highlight => Dark(Red),
+        HighlightInactive => Dark(Blue),
     }
 }
 
-impl Palette {
-    /// Fills `self` with the colors from the given `table`.
-    pub(crate) fn load(&mut self, table: &toml::value::Table) {
-        // TODO: use serde for that?
-        // Problem: toml-rs doesn't do well with Enums...
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Background],
-            table.get("background"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Shadow],
-            table.get("shadow"),
-        );
-        load_color(&mut self.colors[PaletteColor::View], table.get("view"));
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Primary],
-            table.get("primary"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Secondary],
-            table.get("secondary"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Tertiary],
-            table.get("tertiary"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::TitlePrimary],
-            table.get("title_primary"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::TitleSecondary],
-            table.get("title_secondary"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::Highlight],
-            table.get("highlight"),
-        );
-        load_color(
-            &mut self.colors[PaletteColor::HighlightInactive],
-            table.get("highlight_inactive"),
-        );
-    }
+/// Fills `palette` with the colors from the given `table`.
+pub(crate) fn load_table(palette: &mut Palette, table: &toml::value::Table) {
+    // TODO: use serde for that?
+    // Problem: toml-rs doesn't do well with Enums...
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::Background],
+        table.get("background"),
+    );
+    load_color(&mut palette[PaletteColor::Shadow], table.get("shadow"));
+    load_color(&mut palette[PaletteColor::View], table.get("view"));
+    load_color(&mut palette[PaletteColor::Primary], table.get("primary"));
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::Secondary],
+        table.get("secondary"),
+    );
+    load_color(&mut palette[PaletteColor::Tertiary], table.get("tertiary"));
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::TitlePrimary],
+        table.get("title_primary"),
+    );
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::TitleSecondary],
+        table.get("title_secondary"),
+    );
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::Highlight],
+        table.get("highlight"),
+    );
+    load_color(
+        &mut palette[PaletteColor::HighlightInactive],
+        table.get("highlight_inactive"),
+    );
 }
 
 /// Color entry in a palette.
@@ -109,7 +118,7 @@ pub enum PaletteColor {
 impl PaletteColor {
     /// Given a palette, resolve `self` to a concrete color.
     pub fn resolve(self, palette: &Palette) -> Color {
-        palette.colors[self]
+        palette[self]
     }
 }