Airbnb Color Psychology & Meaning
Airbnb's coral pink signals warmth, belonging, and the excitement of travel. The teal provides balance and recalls destinations — ocean, nature, discovery.
#FFFFFF
#FF5A5F
#00A699
#484848
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Airbnb Color Palette
#FFFFFF · #FF5A5F · #00A699 · #484848
AAA
WCAG Grade
9.1:1
Contrast Ratio
3,600
Saves
9,400
AI Copies
Use #FFFFFF as the background. Use #FF5A5F as the primary accent. Use #00A699 as secondary. Use #484848 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Airbnb — warm, cool, calm.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Airbnb color scheme. Use these values for web design (HEX/RGB), print projects (CMYK), or specialized design software (HSL).
| Swatch | Design Role | HEX | RGB | CMYK | HSL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Background Luminance: 100.0% | 255, 255, 255 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 0% | 0°, 0%, 100% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 29.4% | 255, 90, 95 | 0%, 65%, 63%, 0% | 358°, 100%, 68% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 29.6% | 0, 166, 153 | 100%, 0%, 8%, 35% | 175°, 100%, 33% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 6.5% | 72, 72, 72 | 0%, 0%, 0%, 72% | 0°, 0%, 28% |
Airbnb Tints & Shades
Hover states, borders and elevation need lighter and darker steps of your base colors. Here are computed tints and shades for every color in the Airbnb palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#FFFFFF neutral gray
#FF5A5F saturated rose-red
#00A699 saturated teal
#484848 neutral gray
Airbnb Palette Contrast Matrix (WCAG 2.1)
Every color tested as text on every other color as background. Body copy needs 4.5:1 (AA), large text and UI components 3:1. AAA requires 7:1.
| Text on Background | Preview | Ratio | Grade | Safe For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #484848 on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.15:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FFFFFF on #484848 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.15:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FF5A5F on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.05:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #FFFFFF on #FF5A5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.05:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #00A699 on #FFFFFF |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.04:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #FFFFFF on #00A699 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.04:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #484848 on #00A699 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.01:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #00A699 on #484848 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.01:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #484848 on #FF5A5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.00:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #FF5A5F on #484848 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.00:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #00A699 on #FF5A5F |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.01:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #FF5A5F on #00A699 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.01:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme
The Airbnb palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
Hue Wheel
A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
Airbnb rebranded in 2014 with the Bélo symbol. The coral-teal palette tests exceptionally well across cultures for warmth and trustworthiness.
Best Design Use Cases
Coral for primary CTAs and brand moments. Teal for secondary actions and success states. Dark gray for content — never pure black.
Industries This Palette Suits
Travel, hospitality, marketplace platforms, rental.
Colors That Pair Well With Airbnb
Need a fifth color? These three companions are computed from the palette's own hue positions on the color wheel, so they extend the scheme without breaking its harmony.
teal
directly opposite #FF5A5F on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
orange
30° beside #FF5A5F — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
tinted neutral
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Airbnb Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #FF5A5F for buttons and links — it scores 3.1:1 against the #FFFFFF background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #484848 — 9.1:1 against #FFFFFF passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #00A699 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #FF5A5F.
How to Implement the Airbnb Color Scheme
To use this Airbnb color palette in your web project, you can copy the following CSS variables or Tailwind CSS configuration. These roles ensure your UI maintains accessibility and visual hierarchy.
Option 1: CSS Variables
:root {
/* {name} Palette - ihatecolors.com */{'
'} --color-bg: {colors[0]};{'
'} --color-primary: {colors[1]};{'
'} --color-secondary: {colors[2]};{'
'} --color-text: {colors[3]};{'
'} {'}'}Web Design Tip
Use #FFFFFF for the main background and #FF5A5F for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #484848 and #FFFFFF is 9.15:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Airbnb Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Airbnb color palette?
The Airbnb palette contains #FFFFFF, #FF5A5F, #00A699, #484848. Click any swatch on this page to copy its value, or export all four at once as CSS variables, Tailwind config, SCSS or a Figma-ready list.
Is the Airbnb color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #484848 on #FFFFFF reaches 9.1:1 (AAA). For body text always keep a 4.5:1 ratio and for large UI elements 3:1 — the full contrast matrix above shows the exact score for every color-on-color combination in this palette.
What colors go well with the Airbnb palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #5CFFFA, #F7A964, #151414 extend it naturally: the complementary hue for high-energy accents, an analogous neighbor for calm transitions, and a tinted neutral for surfaces. All three are computed from this palette's hues on the color wheel.
What mood does the Airbnb palette create?
Airbnb reads as warm, cool, calm. Saturated rose-red drives the personality, grounded by neutral gray — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Airbnb color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Airbnb palette is free for personal, client and commercial work — websites, branding, apps, print and social content, with no attribution required.
How do I add the Airbnb palette to Tailwind or CSS?
Use the export panel on this page: CSS variables, a Tailwind config block, SCSS variables, or a Figma copy list are generated from Airbnb's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.