Burnt Sienna Color Psychology & Meaning
Burnt Sienna is a Tuscan hillside in late October — rich amber earth, ripe pomegranates, and ancient stone walls. Robust and deeply satisfying.
#FFF8F0
#CC5500
#8B3A00
#1C0A00
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Burnt Sienna Color Palette
#FFF8F0 · #CC5500 · #8B3A00 · #1C0A00
AAA
WCAG Grade
18.2:1
Contrast Ratio
1,892
Saves
4,892
AI Copies
Use #FFF8F0 as the background. Use #CC5500 as the primary accent. Use #8B3A00 as secondary. Use #1C0A00 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Burnt Sienna — warm, earthy, bold.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Burnt Sienna 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: 94.7% | 255, 248, 240 | 0%, 3%, 6%, 0% | 32°, 100%, 97% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 19.3% | 204, 85, 0 | 0%, 58%, 100%, 20% | 25°, 100%, 40% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 8.5% | 139, 58, 0 | 0%, 58%, 100%, 45% | 25°, 100%, 27% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 0.5% | 28, 10, 0 | 0%, 64%, 100%, 89% | 21°, 100%, 5% |
Burnt Sienna 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 Burnt Sienna palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#FFF8F0 saturated orange
#CC5500 saturated orange
#8B3A00 saturated orange
#1C0A00 saturated orange
Burnt Sienna 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1C0A00 on #FFF8F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 18.24:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FFF8F0 on #1C0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 18.24:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #8B3A00 on #FFF8F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.38:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #FFF8F0 on #8B3A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.38:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #1C0A00 on #CC5500 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.45:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #CC5500 on #1C0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.45:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #CC5500 on #FFF8F0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.10:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #FFF8F0 on #CC5500 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.10:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #1C0A00 on #8B3A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8B3A00 on #1C0A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.47:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8B3A00 on #CC5500 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.80:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #CC5500 on #8B3A00 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.80:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Burnt Sienna 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
Sienna is a natural earth pigment from the city of Siena, Italy, known since the Renaissance. Michelangelo used raw and burnt sienna in his preparatory drawings.
Best Design Use Cases
Warm cream for generous background space. Rich burnt orange for primary elements. Deep mahogany for text. Radiates warmth and authenticity.
Industries This Palette Suits
Food, wine, Italian brands, interior design, artisan goods.
Colors That Pair Well With Burnt Sienna
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.
cyan-blue
directly opposite #CC5500 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
yellow
30° beside #CC5500 — 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 Burnt Sienna Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #CC5500 for buttons and links — it scores 4.1:1 against the #FFF8F0 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #1C0A00 — 18.2:1 against #FFF8F0 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #8B3A00 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #CC5500.
How to Implement the Burnt Sienna Color Scheme
To use this Burnt Sienna 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 #FFF8F0 for the main background and #CC5500 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #1C0A00 and #FFF8F0 is 18.24:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Burnt Sienna Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Burnt Sienna color palette?
The Burnt Sienna palette contains #FFF8F0, #CC5500, #8B3A00, #1C0A00. 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 Burnt Sienna color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #1C0A00 on #FFF8F0 reaches 18.2:1 (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 Burnt Sienna palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #0077CC, #C2B30A, #1A150F 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 Burnt Sienna palette create?
Burnt Sienna reads as warm, earthy, bold. Saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by saturated orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Burnt Sienna color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Burnt Sienna 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 Burnt Sienna 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 Burnt Sienna's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.