diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@
 add_custom_command(
     OUTPUT ${Breeze-Dark_TARGETS}
     DEPENDS ${SOURCES}
-    COMMAND ./build_theme.sh -c BreezeDark -t "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze-Dark"
+    COMMAND ./build_theme.sh -c BreezeDark -t "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze-Dark" -r "${BREEZE_COLOR_INSTALL_ROOT}"
     WORKING_DIRECTORY "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src"
 )
 add_custom_target(Breeze-Dark ALL DEPENDS ${Breeze-Dark_TARGETS})
 
 add_custom_command(
     OUTPUT ${Breeze_TARGETS}
     DEPENDS ${SOURCES}
-    COMMAND ./build_theme.sh -c Breeze -t "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze"
+    COMMAND ./build_theme.sh -c Breeze -t "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze" -r "${BREEZE_COLOR_INSTALL_ROOT}"
     COMMAND cp gtk-dark-3.18.css "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze/gtk-3.18/gtk-dark.css"
     COMMAND cp gtk-dark-3.20.css "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/Breeze/gtk-3.20/gtk-dark.css"
     WORKING_DIRECTORY "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/src"
diff --git a/src/build_theme.sh b/src/build_theme.sh
--- a/src/build_theme.sh
+++ b/src/build_theme.sh
@@ -36,36 +36,41 @@
   rmdir "$1"
 }
 
-# Usage render_theme <colorscheme> <theme-name> <theme-install-target>
+# Usage render_theme <colorscheme> <theme-name> <theme-install-target> <colorschemebase>
 render_theme () {
   THEME_BUILD_DIR="$(mktemp -d)"
   create_folders "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}"
   cp -R gtk2/* "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/gtk-2.0/"
   python3 render_assets.py -c "$1" -a "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/assets" \
-    -g "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/gtk-2.0" -G "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}"
+    -g "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/gtk-2.0" -G "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}" -b $4
   build_sass gtk318/gtk.scss "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/gtk-3.18/gtk.css" "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}"
   build_sass gtk320/gtk.scss "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/gtk-3.20/gtk.css" "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}"
   rm -f "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}/_global.scss"
   install_theme "${THEME_BUILD_DIR}" "$2" "$3"
+
+  echo "Installing into $3"
 }
 
 COLOR_SCHEME=""
 INSTALL_TARGET=""
 THEME_NAME=""
+COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT="/usr/share/color-schemes"
 
 while [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; do
   case "$1" in
     -h|--help)
       echo "$0: build Breeze theme"
       echo "Usage: $0 [-c COLOR_SCHEME] [-t TARGET_DIRECTORY]"
       echo
       echo "Arguments:"
-      echo "  -h, --help          show this help"
-      echo "  -c COLOR_SCHEME     use color scheme with name COLOR_SCHEME. If unset or"
-      echo "                      empty, the value from ~/.config/kdeglobals is used"
-      echo "  -t TARGET_DIRECTORY the directory to install the color scheme. If unset or"
-      echo "                      empty, it is installed into"
-      echo "                      ~/.local/share/themes/THEME_NAME"
+      echo "  -h, --help           show this help"
+      echo "  -c COLOR_SCHEME      use color scheme with name COLOR_SCHEME. If unset or"
+      echo "                       empty, the value from ~/.config/kdeglobals is used"
+      echo "  -r COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT The base path of all color schemes or"
+      echo "                       /usr/share/color-schemes if unset"
+      echo "  -t TARGET_DIRECTORY  the directory to install the color scheme. If unset or"
+      echo "                       empty, it is installed into"
+      echo "                       ~/.local/share/themes/THEME_NAME"
       exit 0
     ;;
     -c)
@@ -76,6 +81,9 @@
       shift
       INSTALL_TARGET="$1"
     ;;
+    -r)
+      shift
+      COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT="$1"
   esac
   shift
 done
@@ -86,18 +94,18 @@
     COLOR_SCHEME="${HOME}/.config/kdeglobals"
   else
     echo "${HOME}/.config/kdeglobals not found, using defaults"
-    COLOR_SCHEME="/usr/share/color-schemes/Breeze.colors"
+    COLOR_SCHEME="${COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT}/Breeze.colors"
   fi
 else
   THEME_NAME="${COLOR_SCHEME}"
-  if [ -f "/usr/share/color-schemes/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors" ]; then
-    COLOR_SCHEME="/usr/share/color-schemes/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors"
+  if [ -f "${COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT}/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors" ]; then
+    COLOR_SCHEME="${COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT}/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors"
   elif [ -f "${HOME}/.local/share/color-schemes/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors" ]; then
     COLOR_SCHEME="${HOME}/.local/share/color-schemes/${COLOR_SCHEME}.colors"
   else
     echo "colorscheme ${COLOR_SCHEME} not found"
     exit 1
   fi
 fi
 
-render_theme "${COLOR_SCHEME}" "${THEME_NAME}" "${INSTALL_TARGET}"
+render_theme "${COLOR_SCHEME}" "${THEME_NAME}" "${INSTALL_TARGET}" "${COLOR_SCHEME_ROOT}/Breeze.colors"
diff --git a/src/render_assets.py b/src/render_assets.py
--- a/src/render_assets.py
+++ b/src/render_assets.py
@@ -18,10 +18,9 @@
 
 
 class ReadKdeGlobals():
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, base_file_name):
         self._colors = {}
-        self._colors = self.read_globals(
-            '/usr/share/color-schemes/Breeze.colors')
+        self._colors = self.read_globals(base_file_name)
 
     def read_globals(self, filename):
         with open(filename, 'r', encoding="utf-8") as _kde:
@@ -696,6 +695,10 @@
 parser.add_argument('--colorscheme', '-c', action='store',
                     default='/usr/share/color-schemes/Breeze.colors',
                     help='color scheme to use')
+parser.add_argument('--basecolorscheme', '-b', action='store',
+                    default='/usr/share/color-schemes/Breeze.colors',
+                    help='base color scheme')
+
 parser.add_argument('--assets-dir', '-a', action='store',
                     default='assets',
                     help='location of the directory to place assets')
@@ -711,7 +714,7 @@
 assets_path = args.assets_dir
 make_sure_path_exists(assets_path)
 
-_colors = ReadKdeGlobals().read_globals(args.colorscheme)
+_colors = ReadKdeGlobals(args.basecolorscheme).read_globals(args.colorscheme)
 
 border_color = Color(_colors, 'WindowBackgroundNormal',
                      'WindowForegroundNormal', 0.75)