Hushed Brown Fable
Hushed Brown Fable: a muted split complementary palette of #D5C2A4, #BDB194, #5C94AC, #7D789B, #77562D. Cozy, grounded and lived-in; best contrast 3.83:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on beige, blue, purple, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.83:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Dune#D5C2A4
A light, muted yellow (Dune) that brings a bright, hopeful note. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Khaki#BDB194
A light, muted yellow (Khaki) that brings attention without aggression. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Rainy Mood#5C94AC
A medium, muted teal (Rainy Mood) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Stormy Horizon#7D789B
A medium, muted purple (Stormy Horizon) that brings quiet luxury. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Cold Brew Coffee#77562D
A medium, muted brown (Cold Brew Coffee) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white6.65:1Good 3/5
- On black12.08:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly98% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Ash | Background | #D5C2A4 | 82% |
| ≈ Khaki | Accent | #BDB194 | 76% |
| ≈ Cornflower | Primary | #5C94AC | 64% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #7D789B | 59% |
| ≈ Brown | Text | #77562D | 48% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #261704 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #d5c2a4;
--color-surface: #7d789b;
--color-primary: #5c94ac;
--color-accent: #bdb194;
--color-text: #261704;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #d5c2a4;
--color-surface: #7d789b;
--color-primary: #5c94ac;
--color-accent: #bdb194;
--color-ink: #261704;
}
About this palette
Hushed Brown Fable is palette number 13,186 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a split complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Brown (#77562D), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as cozy, grounded and lived-in. Its colors run from Ash (#D5C2A4) at the light end to Brown (#77562D) at the dark end, covering 48% to 82% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Ash #D5C2A4: suggested role background. It is a orange color with 82% lightness and a chroma of 0.046.
2. ≈ Khaki #BDB194: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 76% lightness and a chroma of 0.042.
3. ≈ Cornflower #5C94AC: suggested role primary. It is a cyan color with 64% lightness and a chroma of 0.069.
4. ≈ Slate #7D789B: suggested role surface. It is a violet color with 59% lightness and a chroma of 0.053.
5. ≈ Brown #77562D: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 48% lightness and a chroma of 0.072.
Harmony and structure
One hue is paired with the two hues flanking its opposite. You keep most of the energy of a complementary scheme with less tension and more variety.
In this palette the hues fall in the orange, yellow, cyan and violet families, spread across 221 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 warm: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.056 makes the saturation soft.
That combination suits editorial websites, lifestyle and home brands and portfolios, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel cozy, grounded and lived-in.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Ash (#D5C2A4) with Brown (#77562D) at a contrast ratio of 3.83:1, 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 (#D5C2A4), so this page suggests #261704 for text, a darkened Brown that reaches 10.01:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under deuteranopia (reduced green sensitivity), #5C94AC and #7D789B may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #D5C2A4 as the background, #7D789B for cards and surfaces, #5C94AC as the primary brand color, #BDB194 as the accent, and #261704 for text (a computed darker shade of Brown, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Use the lone hue as the dominant brand color and the two flanking hues as secondary and accent colors.
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 Brown Fable accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.83:1 (#D5C2A4 on #77562D). 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?
Cornflower (#5C94AC) 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 cozy, grounded and lived-in feel works well.