Lush Terracotta Cascade
Lush Terracotta Cascade: a jewel tone complementary palette of #471500, #632C00, #0E5D74, #116D93, #C25D1E. Rich, layered and celebratory; best contrast 3.54:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on brown, blue, orange, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 3.54:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Old Study#471500
A very dark, moderately saturated brown (Old Study) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Count Chocula#632C00
A dark, moderately saturated brown (Count Chocula) that brings earthy, grounded warmth. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Blue-Collar#0E5D74
A dark, muted blue (Blue-Collar) that brings open, airy calm. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Copacabana#116D93
A medium, moderately saturated blue (Copacabana) that brings trust and steadiness. White text sits comfortably on it.
- ≈ Cajeta#C25D1E
A medium, moderately saturated orange (Cajeta) that brings friendly optimism. Best for large type, icons and decoration.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white15.27:1Excellent 5/5
- On black4.87:1Good 3/5
- Color blind friendly94% 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Espresso | Background | #471500 | 27% |
| ≈ Brown | Accent | #632C00 | 36% |
| ≈ Slate | Surface | #0E5D74 | 45% |
| ≈ Slate | Primary | #116D93 | 50% |
| ≈ Terracotta | Text | #C25D1E | 59% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #FFEEE6 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #471500;
--color-surface: #0e5d74;
--color-primary: #116d93;
--color-accent: #632c00;
--color-text: #ffeee6;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #471500;
--color-surface: #0e5d74;
--color-primary: #116d93;
--color-accent: #632c00;
--color-ink: #ffeee6;
}
About this palette
Lush Terracotta Cascade is palette number 415 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a jewel tone palette built on a complementary scheme, and it is anchored by Terracotta (#C25D1E), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as rich, layered and celebratory. Its colors run from Terracotta (#C25D1E) at the light end to Espresso (#471500) at the dark end, covering 27% to 59% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Espresso #471500: suggested role background. It is a red color with 27% lightness and a chroma of 0.083.
2. ≈ Brown #632C00: suggested role accent. It is a orange color with 36% lightness and a chroma of 0.094.
3. ≈ Slate #0E5D74: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 45% lightness and a chroma of 0.079.
4. ≈ Slate #116D93: suggested role primary. It is a cyan color with 50% lightness and a chroma of 0.099.
5. ≈ Terracotta #C25D1E: suggested role text. It is a orange color with 59% lightness and a chroma of 0.148.
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 red, orange and cyan families, spread across 191 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Jewel tone palettes keep chroma between 0.1 and 0.2, and lightness between 28% and 58%, 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 0.1 makes the saturation balanced.
That combination suits luxury and hospitality, premium packaging and financial and legal brands, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel rich, layered and celebratory.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Espresso (#471500) with Terracotta (#C25D1E) at a contrast ratio of 3.54:1, 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 (#471500), so this page suggests #FFEEE6 for text, a lightened Terracotta that reaches 13.54:1. 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: #471500 as the background, #0E5D74 for cards and surfaces, #116D93 as the primary brand color, #632C00 as the accent, and #FFEEE6 for text (a computed lighter shade of Terracotta, 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 jewel tone palette include luxury and hospitality, premium packaging, financial and legal brands and fine-dining menus. 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 Lush Terracotta Cascade accessible?
Its best pair reaches 3.54:1 (#471500 on #C25D1E). 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?
Slate (#116D93) 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 luxury and hospitality, premium packaging, financial and legal brands and fine-dining menus, where a rich, layered and celebratory feel works well.