#B8A890
#8E8E7A
#C8905C
#2E2A20
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Boerum Hill Color Palette

#B8A890 · #8E8E7A · #C8905C · #2E2A20

AA
WCAG Grade
6.2:1
Contrast Ratio
840
Saves
2,260
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #B8A890 as the background. Use #8E8E7A as the primary accent. Use #C8905C as secondary. Use #2E2A20 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Boerum Hill — brownstone, historic, cool.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Boerum Hill 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: 40.2%
184, 168, 144 0%, 9%, 22%, 28% 36°, 22%, 64%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 26.5%
142, 142, 122 0%, 0%, 14%, 44% 60°, 8%, 52%
Secondary
Luminance: 33.0%
200, 144, 92 0%, 28%, 54%, 22% 29°, 50%, 57%
Body Text
Luminance: 2.3%
46, 42, 32 0%, 9%, 30%, 82% 43°, 18%, 15%

Boerum Hill 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 Boerum Hill palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#B8A890 muted orange
#8E8E7A muted yellow
#C8905C gently saturated orange
#2E2A20 muted orange

Boerum Hill 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
#2E2A20 on #B8A890
Aa Sample Text
6.16:1 AA Body text, UI
#B8A890 on #2E2A20
Aa Sample Text
6.16:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E2A20 on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
5.18:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8905C on #2E2A20
Aa Sample Text
5.18:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E2A20 on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
4.29:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E8E7A on #2E2A20
Aa Sample Text
4.29:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E8E7A on #B8A890
Aa Sample Text
1.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B8A890 on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
1.44:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8905C on #8E8E7A
Aa Sample Text
1.21:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E8E7A on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
1.21:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8905C on #B8A890
Aa Sample Text
1.19:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B8A890 on #C8905C
Aa Sample Text
1.19:1 Fail Decorative use only

Boerum Hill Color Psychology & Meaning

Boerum Hill is the Brooklyn neighborhood of brownstone rows and indie cafes, quieter than its neighbors but with the same brownstone charm, and this palette is that warm stone with muted tones. It feels historic and understated, the color of a neighborhood that lets the architecture do the talking.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Boerum Hill palette is built using a analogous relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.

Hue Wheel

A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.

History & Design Context

Boerum Hill was named in the 1960s by residents seeking to revive the area, taking the name of a colonial family that owned farmland there. Its brownstones were restored through a landmark designation in 1973, and it became a model of brownstone Brooklyn revival.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the warm stone for historic surfaces, the muted gray for accents, and the amber for highlights. The deep brown grounds everything.

Industries This Palette Suits

Real estate, cafes, historic preservation, retail, hospitality.

Colors That Pair Well With Boerum Hill

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.

blue

directly opposite #8E8E7A on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #8E8E7A — 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 Boerum Hill Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8E8E7A for small UI elements on #B8A890 — at 1.4:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #2E2A20 — 6.2:1 against #B8A890 passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
  • Don't use #C8905C behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Boerum Hill Color Scheme

To use this Boerum Hill 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 #B8A890 for the main background and #8E8E7A for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E2A20 and #B8A890 is 6.16:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Boerum Hill Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Boerum Hill color palette?

The Boerum Hill palette contains #B8A890, #8E8E7A, #C8905C, #2E2A20. 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 Boerum Hill color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2A20 on #B8A890 reaches 6.2:1 (AA). 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 Boerum Hill palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #7B7B8E, #859178, #161513 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 Boerum Hill palette create?

Boerum Hill reads as brownstone, historic, cool. Muted yellow drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — a combination that works best when the light base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Boerum Hill color palette commercially?

Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Boerum Hill 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 Boerum Hill 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 Boerum Hill's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.

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