#8E7A5C
#C8B890
#5C7A4A
#2E2414
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

The Cloisters Color Palette

#8E7A5C · #C8B890 · #5C7A4A · #2E2414

Fail
WCAG Grade
3.7:1
Contrast Ratio
930
Saves
2,470
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #8E7A5C as the background. Use #C8B890 as the primary accent. Use #5C7A4A as secondary. Use #2E2414 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: The Cloisters — medieval, stone, quiet.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the The Cloisters 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: 20.4%
142, 122, 92 0%, 14%, 35%, 44% 36°, 21%, 46%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 48.6%
200, 184, 144 0%, 8%, 28%, 22% 43°, 34%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 16.7%
92, 122, 74 25%, 0%, 39%, 52% 98°, 24%, 38%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.9%
46, 36, 20 0%, 22%, 57%, 82% 37°, 39%, 13%

The Cloisters 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 The Cloisters palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#8E7A5C muted orange
#C8B890 gently saturated orange
#5C7A4A muted yellow-green
#2E2414 gently saturated orange

The Cloisters 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
#2E2414 on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
7.77:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#C8B890 on #2E2414
Aa Sample Text
7.77:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#2E2414 on #8E7A5C
Aa Sample Text
3.69:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E7A5C on #2E2414
Aa Sample Text
3.69:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#2E2414 on #5C7A4A
Aa Sample Text
3.15:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5C7A4A on #2E2414
Aa Sample Text
3.15:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#5C7A4A on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
2.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B890 on #5C7A4A
Aa Sample Text
2.47:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B890 on #8E7A5C
Aa Sample Text
2.11:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E7A5C on #C8B890
Aa Sample Text
2.11:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5C7A4A on #8E7A5C
Aa Sample Text
1.17:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E7A5C on #5C7A4A
Aa Sample Text
1.17:1 Fail Decorative use only

The Cloisters Color Psychology & Meaning

The Cloisters is the branch of the Met devoted to medieval art, built from European cloisters and set in Fort Tryon Park, and this palette is its stone grey with moss and manuscript gold. It feels ancient and hushed, the color of candlelit scriptoriums.

Color Harmony: Custom Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

A custom palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.

History & Design Context

The Cloisters opened in 1938, incorporating medieval French cloisters, chapels, and the Unicorn Tapestries, funded by John D. Rockefeller Jr. who donated both the land and the artworks.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the stone grey for walls, the warm cream for parchment, moss green for the garden, and the deep brown for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Museums, medieval art, architecture, heritage.

Colors That Pair Well With The Cloisters

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 #C8B890 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow-green

30° beside #C8B890 — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension

tinted neutral

a paper-white carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers

Using The Cloisters Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8B890 for small UI elements on #8E7A5C — at 2.1:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E2414 on #8E7A5C — 3.7:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #5C7A4A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8B890.

How to Implement the The Cloisters Color Scheme

To use this The Cloisters 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 #8E7A5C for the main background and #C8B890 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E2414 and #8E7A5C is 3.69:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

The Cloisters Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the The Cloisters color palette?

The The Cloisters palette contains #8E7A5C, #C8B890, #5C7A4A, #2E2414. 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 The Cloisters color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2414 on #C8B890 reaches 7.8:1 (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 The Cloisters palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8E9EC7, #B6BF97, #EEEDEC 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 The Cloisters palette create?

The Cloisters reads as medieval, stone, quiet. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the The Cloisters color palette commercially?

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

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