Hanoi Old Quarter Color Psychology & Meaning
The Hanoi Old Quarter is yellow colonial facades, worn brown wood, and the green of street trees, a palette of a thousand-year-old neighborhood. It reads as historic, warm, and full of street life.
#F0E0C8
#C8A060
#8A5A2A
#2A3A1A
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text
Hanoi Old Quarter Color Palette
#F0E0C8 · #C8A060 · #8A5A2A · #2A3A1A
AAA
WCAG Grade
9.4:1
Contrast Ratio
1,300
Saves
3,400
AI Copies
Use #F0E0C8 as the background. Use #C8A060 as the primary accent. Use #8A5A2A as secondary. Use #2A3A1A as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Hanoi Old Quarter — historic, warm, lively.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Hanoi Old Quarter 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: 76.0% | 240, 224, 200 | 0%, 7%, 17%, 6% | 36°, 57%, 86% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 38.3% | 200, 160, 96 | 0%, 20%, 52%, 22% | 37°, 49%, 58% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 12.9% | 138, 90, 42 | 0%, 35%, 70%, 46% | 30°, 53%, 35% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 3.6% | 42, 58, 26 | 28%, 0%, 55%, 77% | 90°, 38%, 16% |
Hanoi Old Quarter 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 Hanoi Old Quarter palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
#F0E0C8 gently saturated orange
#C8A060 gently saturated orange
#8A5A2A gently saturated orange
#2A3A1A gently saturated yellow-green
Hanoi Old Quarter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2A3A1A on #F0E0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.43:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #F0E0C8 on #2A3A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.43:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #2A3A1A on #C8A060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.04:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #C8A060 on #2A3A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.04:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8A5A2A on #F0E0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.53:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #F0E0C8 on #8A5A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 4.53:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #8A5A2A on #C8A060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.42:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8A060 on #8A5A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.42:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #2A3A1A on #8A5A2A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #8A5A2A on #2A3A1A |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.08:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8A060 on #F0E0C8 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.87:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #F0E0C8 on #C8A060 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.87:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Custom Scheme
The Hanoi Old Quarter 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 Old Quarter of Hanoi dates to the eleventh century, organized by trade streets that still carry their names today. The French colonial era added the yellow facades that now define the districts look.
Best Design Use Cases
Use the cream for backgrounds, the colonial yellow for primary accents, and the brown for interactive elements. The deep green works for text and street-tree details.
Industries This Palette Suits
Travel, street food, hospitality, Vietnamese brands, heritage tourism, coffee.
Colors That Pair Well With Hanoi Old Quarter
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 #C8A060 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
yellow
30° beside #C8A060 — 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 Hanoi Old Quarter Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #C8A060 for small UI elements on #F0E0C8 — at 1.9:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #2A3A1A — 9.4:1 against #F0E0C8 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #8A5A2A carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8A060.
How to Implement the Hanoi Old Quarter Color Scheme
To use this Hanoi Old Quarter 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 #F0E0C8 for the main background and #C8A060 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #2A3A1A and #F0E0C8 is 9.43:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Hanoi Old Quarter Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Hanoi Old Quarter color palette?
The Hanoi Old Quarter palette contains #F0E0C8, #C8A060, #8A5A2A, #2A3A1A. 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 Hanoi Old Quarter color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #2A3A1A on #F0E0C8 reaches 9.4:1 (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 Hanoi Old Quarter palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #5F88C8, #B4BE6A, #171511 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 Hanoi Old Quarter palette create?
Hanoi Old Quarter reads as historic, warm, lively. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by gently saturated orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Hanoi Old Quarter color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Hanoi Old Quarter 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 Hanoi Old Quarter 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 Hanoi Old Quarter's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.