What color is Chestnut?
HEX
#954535
RGB
149, 69, 53
HSL
10°, 48%, 40%
HSV
10°, 64%, 58%
Autumn brown with a heartbeat — reddish, woodsy, and classic without being gothic. #954535 feels like polished grain and fallen leaves at the same time. It carries heritage without the blackened depth of espresso.
Best for
Financial services branding and client-facing digital experiences.
Accessibility
Chestnut text on white passes AA at 6.6:1, which makes it usable for headings and short labels.
How does chestnut compare to nearby colors?
What is the difference between chestnut and coffee?
Chestnut (#954535) and Coffee (#6F4E37) are close enough that the split is more about finish than headline contrast: Chestnut feels more warm wood, while Coffee reads more coffee, leather, and wood. The practical difference is not raw contrast so much as project fit: Chestnut reads more naturally in outdoor, food, and lifestyle systems, while Coffee fits more easily into hospitality, food, and grounded heritage brands. Begin with chestnut when the family needs its current undertone and surface character; keep coffee for the nearby alternative that shifts the mood without leaving the same hue neighborhood.
What color is chestnut?
Chestnut is named for the tree and nut. It appears in traditional wood finishes, equestrian leather goods, and preppy wardrobe staples.
What is the hex code for chestnut?
| Format | Value |
|---|---|
| HEX | #954535 |
| RGB | rgb(149, 69, 53) |
| HSL | hsl(10°, 48%, 40%) |
| HSV / HSB | hsv(10°, 64%, 58%) |
| CMYK (approx.) | cmyk(0%, 54%, 64%, 42%) |
Convert Chestnut to other color formats
Open the color converter with Chestnut (#954535) prefilled to copy RGB, HSL, HSV, CMYK, or OKLCH values.
Convert Chestnut in the color converter →What does chestnut mean in design?
Chestnut is often associated with tradition, coziness, and sturdy charm. Compared with mahogany it is usually less intense; compared with sienna it can feel more "wood nut" than "clay."
How do I use chestnut in code?
| CSS (hex) | color: #954535; |
| CSS (rgb) | color: rgb(149, 69, 53); |
| CSS (hsl) | color: hsl(10, 48%, 40%); |
| RGB % | rgb(58%, 27%, 21%) |
| Tailwind | text-[#954535] |
| SwiftUI | Color(red: 0.584, green: 0.271, blue: 0.208) |
| UIKit | UIColor(red: 0.584, green: 0.271, blue: 0.208, alpha: 1.0) |
| Android | Color.rgb(149, 69, 53) |
| Compose | Color(0xFF954535) |
| Web Safe | #993333 |
Is chestnut accessible?
| Combination | Ratio | AA | AA lg | AAA | AAA lg | UI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AaWhite text on this color | 6.6:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AaBlack text on this color | 3.18:1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
| AaThis color as text on white | 6.6:1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
| AaThis color as text on black | 3.18:1 | ✗ | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ | ✓ |
WCAG 2.1: AA normal ≥ 4.5:1, AA large text ≥ 3:1, AAA normal ≥ 7:1, AAA large ≥ 4.5:1, UI components ≥ 3:1.
How does chestnut look with color blindness?
Simulated appearance for common types of color vision deficiency. Actual perception varies by individual.
What colors go with chestnut
White helps chestnut stay legible in charts, labels, and UI states where a muddier light neutral would blur the edges.
With chestnut, navy blue adds a cleaner dark note than black and keeps the pair usable in more modern systems.
Cream helps chestnut read warmer, softer, and less screen-hard than it would beside pure white.
Pairing chestnut with charcoal adds useful depth while keeping the palette flexible for interfaces, decks, and editorial layouts.
Sage Green changes how chestnut comes across: more wellness, botanical, and lifestyle palettes in mood, and less likely to feel isolated or unfinished.
What colors clash with chestnut
Against chestnut, Neon Green introduces a fluorescent sports-drink brightness that overwhelms any quieter, tactile palette intention.
Magenta remaps chestnut too aggressively, dragging it away from outdoor, food, and lifestyle systems and into a brighter, more performative palette.
Cyan redirects chestnut toward a more technical, backlit interpretation, which is risky when the goal is warmth, polish, or print-minded editorial work.
Pastel Pink can undercut chestnut's authority by turning the combination more decorative than decisive.
How should I use chestnut in design?
- •Chestnut carries enough visual weight for headlines, key UI elements, and section anchors — dark enough to command attention but clearly distinct from black.
- •Pair chestnut with cool accents (navy, sage, steel blue) for sharp contrast, or keep it with other warm tones (cream, gold, tan) for a cohesive, editorial feel.
- •Chestnut fits food packaging, hospitality branding, and editorial layouts where natural warmth and material texture are more important than synthetic brightness.
What are good chestnut palettes?
Ink and gold
Financial services branding and client-facing digital experiences.
Design with chestnut in Moda
Create a presentation or document using chestnut as your accent color. Moda's AI applies your color palette automatically.
Create a design with chestnut →What are the shades and tints of chestnut?
Shades (darker)
Tints (lighter)
Tones (desaturated)
Hue variations
What are the color harmonies for chestnut?
Harmonies are calculated from the base swatch. When a harmony matches a named color page, it links there; otherwise it appears here as a computed reference swatch.
Similar colors
Sienna
Sienna is nearly adjacent to chestnut in hue; what separates them is intensity, with sienna reading cleaner and more assertive.
Coffee
Coffee is almost the same hue as chestnut; the real difference is value, with coffee feeling more grounded and anchor-ready.
Rust
Rust is nearly adjacent to chestnut in hue; what separates them is intensity, with rust reading cleaner and more assertive.
Wine
Wine stays very close to chestnut in hue, but it lands darker, which makes it better for headlines, anchors, and darker sections than for lighter surfaces and more open applications.
Umber
Umber stays very close to chestnut in hue, but it lands darker, which makes it better for headlines, anchors, and darker sections than for lighter surfaces and more open applications.
Frequently asked questions
What is the hex code for chestnut?
The hex code for chestnut is #954535. In RGB, that's 149 red, 69 green, and 53 blue. The approximate CMYK equivalent is 0% cyan, 54% magenta, 64% yellow, and 42% key (black).
Is chestnut a warm or cool color?
Chestnut sits on the warm side of the palette, so it pairs easily with other warm tones and becomes more energetic when you place it against cooler blues or blue-grays.
Is chestnut better for accents, structure, or surfaces?
Chestnut sits in the usable middle: strong enough to anchor a section or call attention to a key moment, but calm enough to support a broader system when the surrounding values are well managed.
Where does chestnut work best in a layout?
Chestnut sits in the middle of the spectrum in a useful way: strong enough for emphasis, but controlled enough to support a broader brand or presentation system when the contrast is handled well.
Is chestnut accessible?
Chestnut can work as text on white at 6.6:1 contrast, but it is usually safest in headings, labels, and accent moments rather than long body copy.
More brown colors
Keep exploring color resources
All color pages
Browse the full library of color references, pairings, and palettes.
Brown colors
Compare chestnut with other brown tones.
Neutral colors
Explore nearby color families to build stronger palettes and contrasts.
Orange colors
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Red colors
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Last updated April 6, 2026
Color values are computed from the listed hex code using standard conversion formulas. RGB, HSL, and HSV are exact screen-ready conversions. CMYK is an approximate on-screen reference, not a press-ready print specification. Pairings, palettes, and use-case guidance are heuristic recommendations derived from color relationships, contrast behavior, and common presentation, document, and UI patterns.