Dusty Rust Orchard
Dusty Rust Orchard: a muted complementary palette of #7B5E2E, #907B54, #8097B8, #9CAFDA, #D6C2A0. Relaxed, mature and easy to live with; best contrast 3.46:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, yellow, blue, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.46:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Himalaya#7B5E2E
A medium, muted brown (Himalaya) that brings craft and reliability. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Mocha#907B54
A medium, muted orange (Mocha) that brings friendly optimism. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Sailing#8097B8
A medium, muted blue (Sailing) that brings quiet confidence. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Mont Blanc#9CAFDA
A light, muted blue (Mont Blanc) that brings open, airy calm. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Dune#D6C2A0
A light, muted yellow (Dune) that brings attention without aggression. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white6.02:1Good 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Rust | Text | #7B5E2E | 50% |
| ≈ Olive | Accent | #907B54 | 59% |
| ≈ Cornflower | Surface | #8097B8 | 67% |
| ≈ Silver | Primary | #9CAFDA | 75% |
| ≈ Ash | Background | #D6C2A0 | 82% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #251803 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #d6c2a0;
--color-surface: #8097b8;
--color-primary: #9cafda;
--color-accent: #907b54;
--color-text: #251803;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #d6c2a0;
--color-surface: #8097b8;
--color-primary: #9cafda;
--color-accent: #907b54;
--color-ink: #251803;
}
About this palette
Dusty Rust Orchard is palette number 15,698 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a muted palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Rust (#7B5E2E), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as relaxed, mature and easy to live with. Its colors run from Ash (#D6C2A0) at the light end to Rust (#7B5E2E) at the dark end, covering 50% to 82% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Rust #7B5E2E: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.075.
2. ≈ Olive #907B54: suggested role accent. It is a yellow color with 59% lightness and a chroma of 0.061.
3. ≈ Cornflower #8097B8: suggested role surface. It is a blue color with 67% lightness and a chroma of 0.056.
4. ≈ Silver #9CAFDA: suggested role primary. It is a blue color with 75% lightness and a chroma of 0.066.
5. ≈ Ash #D6C2A0: suggested role background. It is a yellow color with 82% lightness and a chroma of 0.051.
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 orange, yellow and blue families, spread across 188 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: 3 of its 5 chromatic colors lean warm and 2 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.062 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 Rust (#7B5E2E) with Ash (#D6C2A0) at a contrast ratio of 3.46:1, 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 (#D6C2A0), so this page suggests #251803 for text, a darkened Rust that reaches 9.98:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
All five colors stay distinguishable under protanopia, deuteranopia and tritanopia simulations, which is a good sign, although it is no substitute for testing with real users.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #D6C2A0 as the background, #8097B8 for cards and surfaces, #9CAFDA as the primary brand color, #907B54 as the accent, and #251803 for text (a computed darker shade of Rust, 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 Rust Orchard accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.46:1 (#7B5E2E on #D6C2A0). 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?
Silver (#9CAFDA) 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.