Tomi, great designs I can see a lot of potential. I much prefer version 2 over 1 and have a few suggestions for you;
- Space out the actual forums a little, it feels a little cluttered. Could be the bolded descriptions, try un-bolding them and see how it looks.
- The 'Dog' in your slogan (coloured orange) doesn't stand out as it's bright on a bright background, blends in more than the blue.
Brown can look good if you use it right, here's an example;
http://thingsthatarebrown.com/
Love the navigation and side bar. Good luck
