diff --git a/src/__tests__/KeyPaths.types.test.ts b/src/__tests__/KeyPaths.types.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..d4755f2e800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/__tests__/KeyPaths.types.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+import {KeyPaths} from '../utils/types/KeyPaths'
+
+type NestedObject = {
+  a: string
+  b: {
+    b1: string
+    b2: string
+  }
+}
+
+export function generatesKeyPathsFromObject(x: KeyPaths<NestedObject>): 'a' | 'b.b1' | 'b.b2' {
+  return x
+}
diff --git a/src/sx.ts b/src/sx.ts
index fdd88509dff..f97d5f342aa 100644
--- a/src/sx.ts
+++ b/src/sx.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,19 @@
-import css, {SystemStyleObject} from '@styled-system/css'
+import css, {SystemCssProperties, SystemStyleObject} from '@styled-system/css'
+import {ThemeColorPaths, ThemeShadowPaths} from './theme'
+import {ColorProps, ShadowProps} from 'styled-system'
+
+export type BetterCssProperties = {
+  [K in keyof SystemCssProperties]: K extends keyof ColorProps
+    ? ThemeColorPaths | SystemCssProperties[K]
+    : K extends keyof ShadowProps
+    ? ThemeShadowPaths | SystemCssProperties[K]
+    : SystemCssProperties[K]
+}
+
+export type BetterSystemStyleObject = BetterCssProperties | SystemStyleObject
 
 export interface SxProp {
-  sx?: SystemStyleObject
+  sx?: BetterSystemStyleObject
 }
 
 const sx = (props: SxProp) => css(props.sx)
diff --git a/src/theme.ts b/src/theme.ts
index c83d7143693..cca8a16273d 100644
--- a/src/theme.ts
+++ b/src/theme.ts
@@ -1,3 +1,89 @@
 import {theme} from './theme-preval'
+import {KeyPaths} from './utils/types/KeyPaths'
 
 export default theme
+
+// NOTE: for now, ThemeColors and ThemeShadows are handcrafted types. It would be nice if these
+// were exports from primitives (or a different shape but derived from those exports).
+
+type ThemeColors = {
+  fg: {
+    default: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+    onEmphasis: string
+  }
+  canvas: {
+    default: string
+    overlay: string
+    inset: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  border: {
+    default: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+
+  // Roles
+  neutral: {
+    emphasisPlus: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  accent: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  success: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  attention: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  severe: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  danger: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  done: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+  sponsors: {
+    fg: string
+    emphasis: string
+    muted: string
+    subtle: string
+  }
+}
+
+type ThemeShadows = {
+  shadow: {
+    small: string
+    medium: string
+    large: string
+    extraLarge: string
+  }
+}
+
+export type ThemeColorPaths = KeyPaths<ThemeColors>
+export type ThemeShadowPaths = KeyPaths<ThemeShadows>
diff --git a/src/utils/types/KeyPaths.ts b/src/utils/types/KeyPaths.ts
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a5970e303db
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/types/KeyPaths.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+// Produces a union of dot-delimited keypaths to the string values in a nested object:
+export type KeyPaths<O extends {}> = {
+  [K in keyof O]: K extends string ? (O[K] extends string ? `${K}` : `${K}.${KeyPaths<O[K]>}`) : never
+}[keyof O]