Color Conversion
#978679Hearthside Taupe
About this color
Warm assurance with quiet authority
A soft, mid-value taupe with warm ochre undertones that reads as weathered stone warmed by light. It evokes comfortable, reliable warmth—equal parts heritage and quiet refinement.
Designer tip: Use Hearthside Taupe as a dominant field color on large surfaces (walls or packaging wraps) and anchor it with a cool slate-blue accent at a 10–20% area ratio to create immediate, refined contrast.
Best use case: Boutique hospitality interiors (lobbies, leather seating, and wood trim) where a lived-in, upscale warmth must read as both modern and timeless.
Psychology
Psychological traits and emotional associations
Effect
In a space this color calms and organizes visual attention, making materials and textures feel richer. It encourages slow, deliberate interaction—good for hospitality, reading nooks, and tactile product experiences.
Emotional impact
Viewers most often feel soothed and reassured, as if entering a familiar, well-cared-for environment.
Meaning & symbolism
Cultural symbolism and significance
Cultural significance
In Western contexts this taupe reads as vintage, artisanal, and rooted in craftsmanship; in Japan it aligns with wabi-sabi aesthetics—beauty in patina and modest materials; in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean settings it can echo sun-baked stone and textile dyes, suggesting warmth and hospitality.
Positive associations
Associated with craftsmanship and hospitality in Western (European/American) interiors and artisanal branding (e.g., leather goods); resonates with wabi-sabi values in Japanese design.
Negative associations
Can read as overly dated or 'muddy' in contexts that demand bright, modern freshness (seen as old-fashioned by some urban youth cultures) and may be perceived as bland in high-fashion contexts expecting saturated statement colors.
Design applications
How this color is used across different fields
Boutique hotel lobby
Apply on plaster walls and banquette upholstery to create immediate warmth; pairs well with matte brass fittings to emphasize heritage luxury.
Artisanal packaging
Use as a primary box color with embossed typography and a cool blue seal to suggest handcrafted quality and pause on shelf.
Upholstery & leather goods
Perfect for vegetable-tanned leathers and woven textiles where the tone shows wear gracefully and reads as durable.
Editorial backgrounds
Use as a muted backdrop for lifestyle photography spreads to make skin tones and warm wood props pop without harsh contrast.
Brand identity for heritage artisans
Adopt as a core brand color to signal longevity and craft, especially when combined with tactile print finishes like letterpress.
Design guidance
Practical tips for using this color effectively in your designs
Do this
- + Pair it with a cool desaturated blue at 10–20% area to create refined contrast and avoid muddiness.
- + Use tactile materials (matte plaster, raw leather, uncoated paper) to emphasize the color’s warmth and patina.
- + Limit glossy finishes; prefer matte or soft-sheen surfaces so the hue reads as warm and substantial.
Avoid this
- - Don't place it next to saturated warm oranges or neon colors which will make it look dulled or dirty.
- - Avoid using it as the only mid-tone between very light and very dark elements—provide at least one cooler accent to balance temperature.
- - Don't rely on this color alone for legibility in UI; ensure text contrast meets WCAG with chosen overlays.
Fundamentals: Always balance Hearthside Taupe’s warm mid-value with at least one cooler accent and one light/dark anchor to preserve contrast and vitality.
Overuse risk: When this color dominates, spaces and designs can feel overly aged or sleepy—textures and accents are needed to keep visual interest. Too much can mute brand energy and reduce perceived dynamism.
Brand fit
Industries and brand archetypes that align with this color
Trust level
medium
Seriousness
balanced
Trend
Color pairing
Colors that complement and enhance this shade
#6797A8
Complementary contrast: a desaturated slate-blue provides cool counterpoint and high-quality contrast without aggression.
#BFA67F
Analogous warmth: a lighter, sunbaked tan creates a layered, tonal scheme that emphasizes patina (analogous harmony).
#7F9A67
Triadic/earth balance: a muted olive brings botanical depth and a natural triadic balance that reads refined and organic.
Typography hints: For editorial or print: use a warm serif for headlines (Merriweather 700) and Merriweather 400 for body; on web/UI use a humanist sans for headings (Avenir Next Demi Bold 600) with Avenir Next Regular 400 for body. For text placed ON Hearthside Taupe, use an off-white near #F7F5F2 for high-legibility body copy and a warm near-black for headlines.
Historical significance
The story and heritage of this color
Earthy taupes like Hearthside Taupe trace back to ancient use of natural earth pigments—raw umber and yellow ochre—mined in regions like Umbria and used in Roman frescoes and medieval manuscripts for warm, durable neutrals. These pigments created mid-value browns with subtle warm undertones that aged to the same weathered nuance seen here.
Across centuries the shade appears in varied registers: in 18th–19th century military and working garments (early khakis and field cloths), in 19th-century interiors as grounding wall tones, and in mid-century modern design where warm neutrals balanced brighter accents. Fashion houses later used similar tones for leather goods and trench coats, signaling utilitarian luxury.
Today this specific warm-taupe lives in sustainable and heritage-driven design: boutique hotels, artisanal packaging, and slow-fashion leather pieces favor it for its ability to read both contemporary and timeworn. It’s increasingly popular among brands aiming for authenticity and tactile richness without overt vintage cliché.
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.
Text Color
Background Color
Contrast
WCAG Standards
Advanced Contrast Checker
Fine-tune with sliders, multiple previews & more
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Technical Formats
Practical Formats
Color Analysis
Blindness Simulator
Creative Aspects
Frequently asked questions
- What color is #978679?
- #978679 is Hearthside Taupe – A soft, mid-value taupe with warm ochre undertones that reads as weathered stone warmed by light. It evokes comfortable, reliable warmth—equal parts heritage and quiet refinement.
- What does Hearthside Taupe symbolize?
- home and hearth, heritage and craftsmanship, practicality, age and patina, understated luxury. In Western contexts this taupe reads as vintage, artisanal, and rooted in craftsmanship; in Japan it aligns with wabi-sabi aesthetics—beauty in patina and modest materials; in Middle Eastern or Mediterranean settings it can echo sun-baked stone and textile dyes, suggesting warmth and hospitality.
- Where is Hearthside Taupe used in design?
- In a space this color calms and organizes visual attention, making materials and textures feel richer. It encourages slow, deliberate interaction—good for hospitality, reading nooks, and tactile product experiences.