Firebrick `#B22222`

Firebrick (#B22222) is a dark, saturated red with an OKLCH hue of 27°, lightness 0.5 and chroma 0.18. It sits on the warm side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as an accent color: strong in focal moments, dominant over large fields.

Color values

HEX	`#B22222`
RGB	`rgb(178, 34, 34)`
HSL	`hsl(0, 68%, 42%)`
HSV	`hsv(0, 81%, 70%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 81%, 81%, 30%)`
CIE Lab	`lab(39.1 55.9 37.6)`
OKLCH	`oklch(0.497 0.180 27)`

How Firebrick behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Firebrick is virtually unchanged; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.

Warm interior (2700K incandescent / warm LED): → #b21c1e — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged
Neutral LED (4000K task and retail lighting): → #b52020 — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged
Daylight (6500K standard daylight (reference)): → #b22222 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged
North light / shade (~7500K diffuse blue-sky light): → #b32323 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchanged

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 6.68:1 and against black 3.14:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text.

Palettes built from Firebrick

Tonal

One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.

#ff9489 · #df645b · #b22222 · #8d000b · #550003 · #230000

Analogous

The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.

#c16d14 · #bc4b0d · #b22222 · #970e3b · #790246 · #5a0049

Shifted

The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.

#dfb571 · #cd9100 · #9c793c · #b22222 · #860d11 · #5c0004

Contrast

One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.

#00ddf2 · #a07671 · #b22222 · #702b26 · #4b0f0d · #240102

Quiet Support

The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.

#dff7fa · #cbada9 · #6f8082 · #b22222 · #5f413d · #000203

Bright Accent

This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.

#e6f5f7 · #bccdd0 · #8ea1a4 · #0f2a2d · #000709 · #b22222

Complementary

The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.

#d5faff · #00cce0 · #008d9a · #b22222 · #00545d · #080000

Split-complementary

The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.

#d5faff · #00d2b3 · #0086be · #b22222 · #005749 · #000610

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.

#dbfcdd · #72ce7d · #4c72e5 · #b22222 · #243f9b · #000200

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.

#eff7ce · #b0c14a · #008d9a · #b22222 · #542f90 · #000304

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#C54B43 · #D76C62 · #E88B81 · #F8ABA1 · #FFCDC7

Shades

#981216 · #7F0009 · #630005 · #490002 · #300000

Muted

#A43A33 · #944842 · #84544E

Using Firebrick

Its chroma is high enough to carry accents, calls to action, and focal moments; large fields of it will dominate a composition. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.