Single Column
This site is straightforward and easy to navigate. The background image can be a tiled or central watermark; the centered nav buttons on the top leave plenty of room for a personable header above and content below, with the discreet navigation footer.

visit the actual page (links on that page will not work)

See these sites for live examples: Flagstaff Kennel Club, Law & Fiction, Lorraine Bartlett, and (modified) Kathryn Shay.

Two-Column, Bold Left Nav
This eyecatching two-column approach is good for any color combination. The text links are open to decoration or replacement with buttons, and the left nav column leaves plenty of room for the additional links that can come with site expansion.

visit the actual page (links on that page will not work)

See these sites for live examples: Patricia Ryan, Caitlin Brennan, and Ferragus

Single Column, Enclosed
Similar to the first design, this one simply defines its space with more clarity, also making way for more contrast and drama if desired but also working perfectly well with a quiet look.

visit the actual page (links on that page will not work)

See these sites for live examples: Sandra Parshall, (modified) L.L. Bartlett

Two-Column, take two
Here's a two-column site more streamlined than the one above. This sample, soon to be my own web site design, can be customized to any color combination and personality. The menu is text (as opposed to graphics) and has a CSS hover effect you can see by clicking on the link below (although the links themselves are dead-ends, as with all the samples).

visit the actual page (links on that page will not work)

This template will be my own new webstead design, but isn't yet online.