Color Conversion
#902b11Smoldering Hearth
About this color
Warm, grounded intensity with smoky intimacy
A dense, smoky brick-red that reads as both ember and aged wood; its deep orange-red core is tempered by a brown, soot-like undertone. It evokes slow heat and handcrafted comfort—a tactile warmth that suggests hearthside gatherings and honest materials.
Designer tip: Use #902B11 as a dominant accent (30–40% of the palette) on warm off-white backgrounds (e.g., EDE6DE) for premium menus or packaging; add a thin metallic copper foil or a 1.5px cream stroke to elevate contrast and tactile luxury.
Best use case: Identity and packaging for wood-fired restaurants, artisanal charcuterie, or small-batch spirits where a tactile, hearth-driven story must read immediately on shelves and menus.
Psychology
Psychological traits and emotional associations
Effect
In spaces and designs this shade creates a sense of enclosure and hospitality, pulling viewers closer and encouraging prolonged engagement. It also stimulates appetite and tactile desire, making materials and food appear more handcrafted and substantial.
Emotional impact
Conjures cozy, hearthside security with a subtle, elemental heat.
Meaning & symbolism
Cultural symbolism and significance
Cultural significance
In Mediterranean and Western contexts this deep red-brown recalls terracotta, brick and hearth—symbols of home and hospitality. In South Asian contexts similar warm reds are associated with ceremony and auspicious textiles, though brighter reds carry more direct cultural weight. In Indigenous and earth-based cultures, red-ochre tones often reference the land and ancestral materials.
Positive associations
Associated with warmth and hospitality in Mediterranean and Western cultures; used in South Asian ceremonial fabrics to signify life and tradition.
Negative associations
In some contexts dark red-browns can suggest blood or decay when used without lighter balances (observed in certain Western and African symbolic uses); in highly formal East Asian contexts, deeper brown-reds may feel less auspicious than vivid reds.
Design applications
How this color is used across different fields
Restaurant identity & menus
As a primary accent, it signals wood-fired cooking and rustic luxury, reading well against cream papers and textured stocks to communicate handcrafted provenance.
Premium packaging (spirits, chocolate)
On matte labels and foil-stamped logos it conveys aged, oak-matured quality and stands out on store shelves without appearing flashy.
Interior accent wall (library, wine room)
Used on a single wall with warm ambient lighting it creates intimacy and depth, making spaces feel curated and enveloping.
Leather goods & footwear
As a dyed leather color it reads as well-worn and masculine-feminine versatile, lending instant patina and character to jackets and boots.
Digital CTAs for food apps
A saturated CTA in this shade increases perceived appetite and urgency when used sparingly against pale, neutral UIs.
Design guidance
Practical tips for using this color effectively in your designs
Do this
- + Use it as a primary accent no more than 30–40% of visual weight to preserve warmth without overpowering, especially on paper stocks and matte finishes.
- + Pair with a warm cream (EDE6DE) and a complementary teal for CTA or small highlights to achieve clear visual hierarchy (complementary harmony).
- + Introduce a metallic copper or low-sheen varnish for accessories and embossing to amplify perceived value on packaging.
Avoid this
- - Don’t use as a full-screen background for long-form text—its depth reduces readability and can make spaces feel physically smaller.
- - Avoid pairing with high-saturation reds or neon colors that compete and create visual discord.
- - Don’t rely on this color alone to convey luxury—combine with texture, material cues, or metallic accents for credibility.
Fundamentals: Respect contrast and material: pair this deep brick with lighter, warm neutrals and a cool complementary accent to maintain legibility and visual tension.
Overuse risk: If this shade dominates, designs can feel heavy, enclosed, and overly nostalgic, potentially alienating audiences seeking modern freshness. It’s best used as a weighted accent within a balanced palette.
Brand fit
Industries and brand archetypes that align with this color
Trust level
medium
Seriousness
serious
Trend
Color pairing
Colors that complement and enhance this shade
#117A90
Cool teal complementary — creates energetic contrast and visual tension (complementary harmony) that brightens the brick-red without clashing.
#B04A23
Warm burnt-orange analog — extends the ember quality for a layered, monochromatic warmth (analogous harmony).
#11902B
Deep forest green triadic — provides earthy balance and upscale heritage feel while maintaining lively color relationships (triadic harmony).
Typography hints: For UI: use a neutral sans-serif (e.g., Inter, Roboto) at 600 weight for CTAs on this color; for editorial or logotypes, prefer a warm slab-serif (e.g., Sentinel, Museo Slab) at 700 with tight letter spacing to reinforce craftsmanship and readability.
Historical significance
The story and heritage of this color
Pigments in this tonal range date back to ancient iron oxide and red ochres used by prehistoric peoples and later artisans; artists and potters created similar hues from burnt sienna, Venetian red, and natural earths—materials prized for permanence and warm opacity. The deep reddish-brown here strongly resembles oxidized iron and fired clay used across cultures.
Through the Renaissance and into industrial eras, brick-red and sienna tones appeared in architecture (terracotta façades, brickwork) and in painting (Venetian painters favored warm earths for flesh and drapery). In the 19th and 20th centuries the color became associated with brick-built factories and the leather goods of emerging urban craftsmanship.
Today this shade has resurged in craft and heritage design: artisanal packaging, boutique hospitality, and mid-century/industrial-revival interiors use it to signal authenticity and material story. Contemporary brands lean on it when they want an earthy, tactile identity that feels both handcrafted and mature rather than bright or trendy.
Variations
The purpose of this section is to accurately produce tints (pure white added) and shades (pure black added) of your selected color in 10% increments.
Pro Tip: Use shades for hover states and shadows, tints for highlights and backgrounds.
Shades
Darker variations created by adding black to your base color.
Tints
Lighter variations created by adding white to your base color.
Common Use Cases
- • UI component states (hover, active, disabled)
- • Creating depth with shadows and highlights
- • Building consistent color systems
Design System Tip
These variations form the foundation of a cohesive color palette. Export them to maintain consistency across your entire project.
Color Combinations
Each harmony has its own mood. Use harmonies to brainstorm color combos that work well together.
How to Use
Click on any color to copy its hex value. These combinations are mathematically proven to create visual harmony.
Why It Matters
Color harmonies create balance and evoke specific emotions in your designs.
Complement
A color and its opposite on the color wheel, +180 degrees of hue. High contrast.
Split-complementary
A color and two adjacent to its complement, +/-30 degrees of hue from the value opposite the main color. Bold like a straight complement, but more versatile.
Triadic
Three colors spaced evenly along the color wheel, each 120 degrees of hue apart. Best to allow one color to dominate and use the others as accents.
Analogous
Three colors of the same luminance and saturation with hues that are adjacent on the color wheel, 30 degrees apart. Smooth transitions.
Monochromatic
Three colors of the same hue with luminance values +/-50%. Subtle and refined.
Tetradic
Two sets of complementary colors, separated by 60 degrees of hue.
Color Theory Principles
Balance
Use one dominant color, support with secondary, and accent sparingly.
Contrast
Ensure sufficient contrast for readability and accessibility.
Harmony
Colors should work together to create a unified visual experience.
Color Contrast Checker
Test color combinations to ensure they meet WCAG accessibility standards for text readability.
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Background Color
Contrast
WCAG Standards
Advanced Contrast Checker
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Technical Formats
Practical Formats
Color Analysis
Blindness Simulator
Creative Aspects
Frequently asked questions
- What color is #902B11?
- #902B11 is Smoldering Hearth – A dense, smoky brick-red that reads as both ember and aged wood; its deep orange-red core is tempered by a brown, soot-like undertone. It evokes slow heat and handcrafted comfort—a tactile warmth that suggests hearthside gatherings and honest materials.
- What does Smoldering Hearth symbolize?
- hearth and home, craftsmanship and durability, autumnal cycle, raw elemental heat, aged heritage. In Mediterranean and Western contexts this deep red-brown recalls terracotta, brick and hearth—symbols of home and hospitality. In South Asian contexts similar warm reds are associated with ceremony and auspicious textiles, though brighter reds carry more direct cultural weight. In Indigenous and earth-based cultures, red-ochre tones often reference the land and ancestral materials.
- Where is Smoldering Hearth used in design?
- In spaces and designs this shade creates a sense of enclosure and hospitality, pulling viewers closer and encouraging prolonged engagement. It also stimulates appetite and tactile desire, making materials and food appear more handcrafted and substantial.