Color and background can make even the most simple of layouts look amazingly attractive. An attractive background can be eye-catching. But design the layout with the menu on the top and the sub menu and the content areas. Create the layout in such a way so that the background is clearly visible even on a small screen.
The next thing after the layout is the color combination of the website. Space out the content so that two colors do not clash. Line up the different elements of the website till it looks attractive to your eye. For example, you can choose a big logo on the top on a maroon background. Display it with a Rockwell typeface and use another font for the text.
Combine the maroon background with earthy and pastel shades. Throwing in a little beige brings out the contrast sharply. Polish it adding dotted themes, arrows and a small border to make the sub menu look sharper. As you continue, you will want to add more or reduce the effects till you finally get one that is pleasing to the eye.