Retro Kitchen Color Palette
#E8D8B0 · #C8544E · #7AA89A · #2E2E30
Use #E8D8B0 as the background. Use #C8544E as the primary accent. Use #7AA89A as secondary. Use #2E2E30 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Retro Kitchen — vintage, warm, candy, pastel.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Retro Kitchen 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: 69.4% | 232, 216, 176 | 0%, 7%, 24%, 9% | 43°, 55%, 80% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 19.2% | 200, 84, 78 | 0%, 58%, 61%, 22% | 3°, 53%, 55% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 34.5% | 122, 168, 154 | 27%, 0%, 8%, 34% | 162°, 21%, 57% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 2.7% | 46, 46, 48 | 4%, 4%, 0%, 81% | 240°, 2%, 18% |
Retro Kitchen 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 Retro Kitchen palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Retro Kitchen 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #2E2E30 on #E8D8B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.60:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #E8D8B0 on #2E2E30 |
Aa Sample Text
| 9.60:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #2E2E30 on #7AA89A |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.09:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #7AA89A on #2E2E30 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.09:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #2E2E30 on #C8544E |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.12:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #C8544E on #2E2E30 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.12:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #C8544E on #E8D8B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #E8D8B0 on #C8544E |
Aa Sample Text
| 3.08:1 | Fail | Large headings, UI components |
| #7AA89A on #E8D8B0 |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.88:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #E8D8B0 on #7AA89A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.88:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #7AA89A on #C8544E |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.63:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #C8544E on #7AA89A |
Aa Sample Text
| 1.63:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Triadic Scheme
The Retro Kitchen palette is built using a triadic relationship between its hues. This ensures that even with high-contrast accents, the overall scheme feels balanced and intentional.
A triadic palette is often preferred by professional designers because it balances visual interest with cohesion.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Retro Kitchen
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.
directly opposite #C8544E on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #C8544E — a calm secondary that extends the palette without adding tension
a ink-black carrying the palette's own hue — perfect for surfaces and dividers
Using Retro Kitchen Without Breaking Accessibility
- Use #C8544E for buttons and links — it scores 3.1:1 against the #E8D8B0 background (above the 3:1 UI-components threshold).
- Set body text in #2E2E30 — 9.6:1 against #E8D8B0 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Don't use #7AA89A behind body text — this light tone works better for surfaces, badges and dividers than for reading areas.
How to Implement the Retro Kitchen Color Scheme
To use this Retro Kitchen 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 #E8D8B0 for the main background and #C8544E for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #2E2E30 and #E8D8B0 is 9.60:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Retro Kitchen Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Retro Kitchen color palette?
The Retro Kitchen palette contains #E8D8B0, #C8544E, #7AA89A, #2E2E30. 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 Retro Kitchen color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #2E2E30 on #E8D8B0 reaches 9.6:1 (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 Retro Kitchen palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #4FC3C9, #BE915B, #171612 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 Retro Kitchen palette create?
Retro Kitchen reads as vintage, warm, candy. Gently saturated red 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 Retro Kitchen color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Retro Kitchen 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 Retro Kitchen 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 Retro Kitchen's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.