#B8860B
#8E6E2E
#E8D0A0
#2E2418
Background
Primary Accent
Secondary
Body Text

Ormolu Color Palette

#B8860B · #8E6E2E · #E8D0A0 · #2E2418

AA
WCAG Grade
4.7:1
Contrast Ratio
852
Saves
1,987
AI Copies
AI Prompt

Use #B8860B as the background. Use #8E6E2E as the primary accent. Use #E8D0A0 as secondary. Use #2E2418 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Ormolu — royal, vintage, warm, moody.

Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values

Technical breakdown for the Ormolu 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: 27.3%
184, 134, 11 0%, 27%, 94%, 28% 43°, 89%, 38%
Primary Accent
Luminance: 17.1%
142, 110, 46 0%, 23%, 68%, 44% 40°, 51%, 37%
Secondary
Luminance: 64.8%
232, 208, 160 0%, 10%, 31%, 9% 40°, 61%, 77%
Body Text
Luminance: 1.9%
46, 36, 24 0%, 22%, 48%, 82% 33°, 31%, 14%

Ormolu 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 Ormolu palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.

#B8860B saturated orange
#8E6E2E gently saturated orange
#E8D0A0 gently saturated orange
#2E2418 gently saturated orange

Ormolu 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
#2E2418 on #E8D0A0
Aa Sample Text
10.10:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#E8D0A0 on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
10.10:1 AAA Body text, headings, UI
#2E2418 on #B8860B
Aa Sample Text
4.67:1 AA Body text, UI
#B8860B on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
4.67:1 AA Body text, UI
#2E2418 on #8E6E2E
Aa Sample Text
3.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E6E2E on #2E2418
Aa Sample Text
3.20:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#E8D0A0 on #8E6E2E
Aa Sample Text
3.16:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#8E6E2E on #E8D0A0
Aa Sample Text
3.16:1 Fail Large headings, UI components
#E8D0A0 on #B8860B
Aa Sample Text
2.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B8860B on #E8D0A0
Aa Sample Text
2.16:1 Fail Decorative use only
#8E6E2E on #B8860B
Aa Sample Text
1.46:1 Fail Decorative use only
#B8860B on #8E6E2E
Aa Sample Text
1.46:1 Fail Decorative use only

Ormolu Color Psychology & Meaning

Ormolu is gilded bronze used for mounts on furniture and clocks, ground to a matte gold finish rather than a polished shine, and this palette is ormolu gilt with candle marble. It feels fine and antique, the color of metal applied like lace.

Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme

The Ormolu 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

Ormolu is made by applying a mercury-gold amalgam to bronze and heating it until the mercury evaporates, a process so toxic that it has been largely replaced, though the finish it produced has never been fully matched.

Best Design Use Cases

Use the ormolu gilt for backgrounds, aged bronze for primary actions, candle marble for highlights, and cabinet dark for text.

Industries This Palette Suits

Hotels and fine dining, interior design, tapestry and textile.

Colors That Pair Well With Ormolu

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 #8E6E2E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy

yellow

30° beside #8E6E2E — 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 Ormolu Without Breaking Accessibility

  • Avoid #8E6E2E for small UI elements on #B8860B — at 1.5:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
  • Set body text in #2E2418 — 4.7:1 against #B8860B passes WCAG AA (AA) for long-form reading.
  • Don't use #E8D0A0 behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.

How to Implement the Ormolu Color Scheme

To use this Ormolu 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 #B8860B for the main background and #8E6E2E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.

Accessibility Note

The contrast ratio between #2E2418 and #B8860B is 4.67:1 (AA). Ensure your body text remains legible.

Ormolu Palette — Frequently Asked Questions

What are the hex codes in the Ormolu color palette?

The Ormolu palette contains #B8860B, #8E6E2E, #E8D0A0, #2E2418. 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 Ormolu color palette accessible (WCAG)?

Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2418 on #E8D0A0 reaches 10.1:1 (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 Ormolu palette?

Beyond its own four colors, #2E4E8E, #788538, #F1EFE9 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 Ormolu palette create?

Ormolu reads as royal, vintage, warm. Gently saturated orange drives the personality, grounded by saturated orange — a combination that works best when the mid-tone base gets most of the canvas.

Can I use the Ormolu color palette commercially?

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

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