#5E7A8E
#C8B490
#A8543C
#2E3A44
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Old Pier Color Palette

#5E7A8E · #C8B490 · #A8543C · #2E3A44

Fail
WCAG Grade
2.6:1
Contrast Ratio
781
Saves
3,320
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #5E7A8E as the background. Use #C8B490 as the primary accent. Use #A8543C as secondary. Use #2E3A44 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Old Pier — vintage, moody, ocean, cool.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Old Pier 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: 18.3%
94, 122, 142 34%, 14%, 0%, 44% 205°, 20%, 46%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 46.9%
200, 180, 144 0%, 10%, 28%, 22% 39°, 34%, 67%
Secondary
Luminance: 15.0%
168, 84, 60 0%, 50%, 64%, 34% 13°, 47%, 45%
Body Text
Luminance: 4.0%
46, 58, 68 32%, 15%, 0%, 73% 207°, 19%, 22%

Old Pier 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 Old Pier palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#5E7A8E muted cyan-blue
#C8B490 gently saturated orange
#A8543C gently saturated red
#2E3A44 muted cyan-blue

Old Pier 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
#2E3A44 on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
5.76:1 AA Body text, UI
#C8B490 on #2E3A44
Aa Sample Text
5.76:1 AA Body text, UI
#A8543C on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
2.60:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B490 on #A8543C
Aa Sample Text
2.60:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E3A44 on #5E7A8E
Aa Sample Text
2.58:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E7A8E on #2E3A44
Aa Sample Text
2.58:1 Fail Decorative use only
#C8B490 on #5E7A8E
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E7A8E on #C8B490
Aa Sample Text
2.23:1 Fail Decorative use only
#2E3A44 on #A8543C
Aa Sample Text
2.22:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8543C on #2E3A44
Aa Sample Text
2.22:1 Fail Decorative use only
#A8543C on #5E7A8E
Aa Sample Text
1.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#5E7A8E on #A8543C
Aa Sample Text
1.16:1 Fail Decorative use only

Old Pier Color Psychology & Meaning

An old pier is weathered timber over grey water, with rust and faded paint in place of any original colour, and this palette is pier grey with rust red. It feels salted and worn, the color of a structure that has been rebuilt more than once.

Color Harmony: Split-Complementary Scheme

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

Hue Wheel

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

History & Design Context

Seaside piers require constant maintenance because salt and storms attack timber and ironwork, so most surviving piers are a patchwork of original structure and later repairs with no single age.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the pier grey for hero surfaces, deck wood for interactive elements, rust red for accents, and sea dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Film photography, vinyl, podcasting, heritage tourism.

Colors That Pair Well With Old Pier

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 #C8B490 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #C8B490 — 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 Old Pier Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #C8B490 for small UI elements on #5E7A8E — at 2.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Don't set body copy in #2E3A44 on #5E7A8E — 2.6:1 fails WCAG AA; keep it for large decorative headings only.
  • Let #A8543C carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #C8B490.

How to Implement the Old Pier Color Scheme

To use this Old Pier 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 #5E7A8E for the main background and #C8B490 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E3A44 and #5E7A8E is 2.58:1 (Fail). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Old Pier Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Old Pier color palette?

The Old Pier palette contains #5E7A8E, #C8B490, #A8543C, #2E3A44. 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 Old Pier color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E3A44 on #C8B490 reaches 5.8:1 (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 Old Pier palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #8EA2C7, #B9BF97, #ECEDEE 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 Old Pier palette create?

Old Pier reads as vintage, moody, ocean. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by muted cyan-blue — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Old Pier color palette commercially?

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

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