Hushed Terracotta Aurora
Hushed Terracotta Aurora: a muted complementary palette of #346565, #3D848A, #B97778, #D7A5A2, #ACDADA. Relaxed, mature and easy to live with; best contrast 4.31:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on teal, red, with a moderate lightness range. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 4.31:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Mediterranea#346565
A medium, muted teal (Mediterranea) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Paradiso#3D848A
A medium, muted teal (Paradiso) that brings clean, modern calm. Best for large type, icons and decoration.
- ≈ Nipple#B97778
A medium, moderately saturated red (Nipple) that brings warmth and energy. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Parfait#D7A5A2
A light, muted pink (Parfait) that brings softness and care. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Crystal#ACDADA
A very light, muted teal (Crystal) that brings a coastal freshness. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white6.57:1Good 3/5
- On black13.79:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly91% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Slate | Text | #346565 | 47% |
| ≈ Teal | Accent | #3D848A | 57% |
| ≈ Terracotta | Primary | #B97778 | 64% |
| ≈ Dusty Rose | Surface | #D7A5A2 | 77% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Background | #ACDADA | 86% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #012020 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #acdada;
--color-surface: #d7a5a2;
--color-primary: #b97778;
--color-accent: #3d848a;
--color-text: #012020;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #acdada;
--color-surface: #d7a5a2;
--color-primary: #b97778;
--color-accent: #3d848a;
--color-ink: #012020;
}
About this palette
Hushed Terracotta Aurora is palette number 12,058 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Terracotta (#B97778), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as relaxed, mature and easy to live with. Its colors run from Powder Blue (#ACDADA) at the light end to Slate (#346565) at the dark end, covering 47% to 86% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Slate #346565: suggested role text. It is a teal color with 47% lightness and a chroma of 0.053.
2. ≈ Teal #3D848A: suggested role accent. It is a cyan color with 57% lightness and a chroma of 0.071.
3. ≈ Terracotta #B97778: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 64% lightness and a chroma of 0.083.
4. ≈ Dusty Rose #D7A5A2: suggested role surface. It is a red color with 77% lightness and a chroma of 0.06.
5. ≈ Powder Blue #ACDADA: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 86% lightness and a chroma of 0.048.
Harmony and structure
Two hues sit opposite each other on the wheel, each with a close companion. Complementary palettes have built-in tension: the opposite hues make each other look more vivid.
In this palette the hues fall in the teal, cyan, rose and red families, spread across 184 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Muted palettes keep chroma between 0.035 and 0.09, and lightness between 48% and 84%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-balanced: 2 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 3 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.063 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands and portfolios, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel relaxed, mature and easy to live with.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Slate (#346565) with Powder Blue (#ACDADA) at a contrast ratio of 4.31:1, which is WCAG AA large. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 2 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#ACDADA), so this page suggests #012020 for text, a darkened Slate that reaches 11.22:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #3D848A and #B97778 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #ACDADA as the background, #D7A5A2 for cards and surfaces, #B97778 as the primary brand color, #3D848A as the accent, and #012020 for text (a computed darker shade of Slate, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Give one side of the wheel to the background and structure and the other to calls to action. A small amount of the opposing hue goes a long way.
Typical uses for a muted palette include editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands, portfolios and calm dashboards. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Hushed Terracotta Aurora accessible?
Its best pair reaches 4.31:1 (#346565 on #ACDADA). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Terracotta (#B97778) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands, portfolios and calm dashboards, where a relaxed, mature and easy to live with feel works well.