Dusty Terracotta Island
Dusty Terracotta Island: a muted complementary palette of #A7D5CE, #6EBCBB, #B97780, #9C6669, #336D6B. Relaxed, mature and easy to live with; best contrast 3.68:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on teal, red, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.68:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Whirlpool#A7D5CE
A light, muted teal (Whirlpool) that brings a coastal freshness. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Castaway#6EBCBB
A light, muted teal (Castaway) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Nipple#B97780
A medium, moderately saturated red (Nipple) that brings appetite and urgency. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Leather#9C6669
A medium, muted brown (Leather) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Deep Pool Teal#336D6B
A medium, muted teal (Deep Pool Teal) that brings a coastal freshness. White text sits comfortably on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white5.93:1Good 3/5
- On black13.05:1Excellent 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Powder Blue | Background | #A7D5CE | 84% |
| ≈ Turquoise | Accent | #6EBCBB | 74% |
| ≈ Terracotta | Primary | #B97780 | 64% |
| ≈ Terracotta | Surface | #9C6669 | 57% |
| ≈ Slate | Text | #336D6B | 50% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #02201F for text.
:root {
--color-background: #a7d5ce;
--color-surface: #9c6669;
--color-primary: #b97780;
--color-accent: #6ebcbb;
--color-text: #02201f;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #a7d5ce;
--color-surface: #9c6669;
--color-primary: #b97780;
--color-accent: #6ebcbb;
--color-ink: #02201f;
}
About this palette
Dusty Terracotta Island is palette number 13,738 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Terracotta (#B97780), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as relaxed, mature and easy to live with. Its colors run from Powder Blue (#A7D5CE) at the light end to Slate (#336D6B) at the dark end, covering 50% to 84% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Powder Blue #A7D5CE: suggested role background. It is a teal color with 84% lightness and a chroma of 0.049.
2. ≈ Turquoise #6EBCBB: suggested role accent. It is a teal color with 74% lightness and a chroma of 0.077.
3. ≈ Terracotta #B97780: suggested role primary. It is a rose color with 64% lightness and a chroma of 0.084.
4. ≈ Terracotta #9C6669: suggested role surface. It is a rose color with 57% lightness and a chroma of 0.07.
5. ≈ Slate #336D6B: suggested role text. It is a teal color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.061.
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 and rose 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 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.068 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 Powder Blue (#A7D5CE) with Slate (#336D6B) at a contrast ratio of 3.68:1, which is WCAG AA large. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 1 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#A7D5CE), so this page suggests #02201F for text, a darkened Slate that reaches 10.62:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #9C6669 and #336D6B may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #A7D5CE as the background, #9C6669 for cards and surfaces, #B97780 as the primary brand color, #6EBCBB as the accent, and #02201F 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 Dusty Terracotta Island accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.68:1 (#A7D5CE on #336D6B). 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 (#B97780) 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.