Willow Charcoal Color Palette
#EFEDE7 · #A6A199 · #5E5A53 · #141312
Use #EFEDE7 as the background. Use #A6A199 as the primary accent. Use #5E5A53 as secondary. Use #141312 as body text/supporting color. Palette mood: Willow Charcoal — mono, earthy, warm, vintage.
Hex Codes, RGB & CMYK Color Values
Technical breakdown for the Willow Charcoal 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: 84.7% | 239, 237, 231 | 0%, 1%, 3%, 6% | 45°, 20%, 92% | ||
| Primary Accent Luminance: 35.9% | 166, 161, 153 | 0%, 3%, 8%, 35% | 37°, 7%, 63% | ||
| Secondary Luminance: 10.3% | 94, 90, 83 | 0%, 4%, 12%, 63% | 38°, 6%, 35% | ||
| Body Text Luminance: 0.7% | 20, 19, 18 | 0%, 5%, 10%, 92% | 30°, 5%, 7% |
Willow Charcoal 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 Willow Charcoal palette — click any swatch to copy its hex.
Willow Charcoal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #141312 on #EFEDE7 |
Aa Sample Text
| 15.85:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #EFEDE7 on #141312 |
Aa Sample Text
| 15.85:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #141312 on #A6A199 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.23:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #A6A199 on #141312 |
Aa Sample Text
| 7.23:1 | AAA | Body text, headings, UI |
| #5E5A53 on #EFEDE7 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.86:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #EFEDE7 on #5E5A53 |
Aa Sample Text
| 5.86:1 | AA | Body text, UI |
| #141312 on #5E5A53 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.71:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5E5A53 on #141312 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.71:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #5E5A53 on #A6A199 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.67:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #A6A199 on #5E5A53 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.67:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #A6A199 on #EFEDE7 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
| #EFEDE7 on #A6A199 |
Aa Sample Text
| 2.19:1 | Fail | Decorative use only |
Color Harmony: Analogous Scheme
The Willow Charcoal 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.
A analogous palette is often preferred by professional designers because it creates a calm, serene atmosphere by using neighboring colors.
History & Design Context
Best Design Use Cases
Industries This Palette Suits
Colors That Pair Well With Willow Charcoal
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 #A6A199 on the wheel — the strongest accent for CTAs and highlights when you need maximum energy
30° beside #A6A199 — 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 Willow Charcoal Without Breaking Accessibility
- Avoid #A6A199 for small UI elements on #EFEDE7 — at 2.2:1 it misses the 3:1 WCAG threshold; darken it with a shade from the ramp below.
- Set body text in #141312 — 15.9:1 against #EFEDE7 passes WCAG AA (AAA) for long-form reading.
- Let #5E5A53 carry sidebars, cards and footers — at a mid lightness it separates zones without stealing focus from #A6A199.
How to Implement the Willow Charcoal Color Scheme
To use this Willow Charcoal 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 #EFEDE7 for the main background and #A6A199 for primary buttons. This creates a high-contrast focal point.
Accessibility Note
The contrast ratio between #141312 and #EFEDE7 is 15.85:1 (AAA). Ensure your body text remains legible.
Willow Charcoal Palette — Frequently Asked Questions
What are the hex codes in the Willow Charcoal color palette?
The Willow Charcoal palette contains #EFEDE7, #A6A199, #5E5A53, #141312. 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 Willow Charcoal color palette accessible (WCAG)?
Yes for its strongest pairings: #141312 on #EFEDE7 reaches 15.9:1 (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 Willow Charcoal palette?
Beyond its own four colors, #9A9FA7, #A8AA97, #151513 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 Willow Charcoal palette create?
Willow Charcoal reads as mono, earthy, warm. Neutral gray drives the personality, grounded by muted orange — a combination that works best when the very light base gets most of the canvas.
Can I use the Willow Charcoal color palette commercially?
Yes. Individual color values can't be copyrighted, so the Willow Charcoal 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 Willow Charcoal 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 Willow Charcoal's exact values, including the tint and shade ramps shown above.