Brick Red Color Palette
Brick Red is hex #CB4154, rgb(203, 65, 84). Brick red is the dusty reddish brown of fired bricks. It is warm, solid and a little industrial.
By Mohamed Farhan · Updated Oct 19, 2026
Brick Red color codes
Reading the brick red color codes
The hex code #CB4154 is three pairs of base-16 numbers for red, green and blue. CB is 203, 41 is 65 and 54 is 84, each on a scale from 0 to 255. That is why the same color is written rgb(203, 65, 84) in CSS. The red channel is the strongest here, which is what gives brick red its red character.
HSL describes the same color the way people think about it. A hue of 352 degrees places brick red in the red part of the color wheel. Saturation of 57% makes it moderately saturated, and lightness of 53% makes it a mid-tone color. HSL is the easiest format to adjust by hand: keep the hue, then raise or lower lightness to create tints and shades that stay in the same family.
For print, the approximate CMYK mix is 0% cyan, 68% magenta, 59% yellow and 20% black. Screen and print colors never match perfectly, because monitors emit light while ink absorbs it, so always proof a printed sample before committing to brick red for packaging or stationery. See MDN's guide to CSS color values for every format browsers accept.
Brick Red shades and tints
A full 50 to 950 scale built around #CB4154, so you can use brick red for backgrounds, borders, buttons and text without leaving the family. Click any shade to copy it.
// tailwind.config.js
theme: {
extend: {
colors: {
"brick-red": {
50: "#F5D9DD",
100: "#ECBBC1",
200: "#E49CA6",
300: "#DC7E8B",
400: "#D35F6F",
500: "#CB4154",
600: "#B03849",
700: "#942F3D",
800: "#792632",
900: "#5D1D26",
950: "#42151A",
},
},
},
}:root {
--brick-red-50: #F5D9DD;
--brick-red-100: #ECBBC1;
--brick-red-200: #E49CA6;
--brick-red-300: #DC7E8B;
--brick-red-400: #D35F6F;
--brick-red-500: #CB4154;
--brick-red-600: #B03849;
--brick-red-700: #942F3D;
--brick-red-800: #792632;
--brick-red-900: #5D1D26;
--brick-red-950: #42151A;
}A shade-by-shade guide to brick red
The 50 to 950 scale above follows the same structure as Tailwind's built-in palettes, so each step has a natural job. The lightest steps, 50 (#F5D9DD) and 100 (#ECBBC1), are page and card backgrounds: they carry the brick red mood without competing with content. Steps 200 (#E49CA6) and 300 (#DC7E8B) suit borders, dividers, hover states and selected rows.
The middle of the scale, 400 to 600, is where brick red is most recognizable, so use it for brand moments, illustrations and primary buttons. White text reaches the 4.5:1 body-text contrast minimum from step 500 upward, so use step 500 or darker when a button label needs to be white. Near-black text stays readable on steps 50 to 400.
The darkest steps, 800 (#792632) through 950 (#42151A), make headings, body text and dark-mode surfaces that stay clearly related to brick red. Using step 900 or 950 for text instead of pure black is one of the simplest ways to make an interface feel designed rather than default.
Colors that go with brick red
How the brick red color combinations work
Complementary. Directly across the color wheel from brick red is #41CBB8, which sits closest to turquoise among common named colors. Complementary pairs create the strongest contrast of hue, so use the second color sparingly, for a single call to action or highlight, rather than in equal amounts.
Analogous. #CB4199 and #CB7341 sit 30 degrees either side of brick red. Analogous palettes feel calm and cohesive because the colors share undertones; they are ideal for illustrations, gradients and backgrounds where you want harmony more than contrast.
Triadic and split complementary. The triadic set (#54CB41 and #4154CB) is evenly spaced around the wheel and feels playful; the second color is closest to lime green. The split complementary set (#41CB73 and #4199CB) keeps much of the complementary contrast but is easier to balance, which makes it a good choice for data visualization and multi-category tags.
Monochromatic. The monochromatic set runs from #ECB9C0 to #621B25. A single-hue palette is the safest way to build a calm, premium interface: rely on lightness for hierarchy, then add one neutral and one accent if you need emphasis.
Brick Red compared with similar colors
crimson (#DC143C) is darker (47% vs 53% lightness) and more saturated, and shares almost the same hue. Choose crimson if you need more weight and contrast; choose brick red if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
terracotta (#E2725B) is lighter (62% vs 53% lightness) and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose terracotta if you want a softer, airier version; choose brick red if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
blush pink (#DE5D83) is lighter (62% vs 53% lightness) and more saturated, and leans back the wheel toward red. Choose blush pink if you want a softer, airier version; choose brick red if you want its specific balance of brightness and color.
Brick Red in a real interface
Swatches only tell half the story. Here brick red carries the primary action, with tints from its own scale for the surface and panels.
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Using brick red in UI: buttons, text, backgrounds and dark mode
- Buttons. Brick Red carries white labels at 4.75:1, which passes AA for normal text.
- Text. Brick Red works as text on white backgrounds.
- Backgrounds. Use steps 50 and 100 for large areas and keep the base color for smaller surfaces. Big blocks of a moderately saturated mid-tone color draw attention, so give them a reason, like a hero section or pricing highlight.
- Dark mode. Steps 900 and 950 make a dark surface tinted with brick red. On dark backgrounds the base color often needs a lighter step (300 or 400) to keep enough contrast for icons and borders, as required by WCAG non-text contrast.
- States. Shift one step darker for hover and two steps darker for pressed. Keep focus rings in a contrasting color so keyboard users can always see them.
Contrast and accessibility
AA needs 4.5:1 for body text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1.
Color contrast is measured as a ratio from 1:1 (no contrast) to 21:1 (black on white). Brick Red scores 4.75:1 against white (AA) and 4.42:1 against black (AA large). The WCAG 2.1 contrast guideline asks for at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, which is why the shade guide above recommends specific steps for text and labels.
Contrast is only half of accessibility. Around 1 in 12 men and 1 in 200 women have some form of color vision deficiency, so never use brick red alone to signal meaning such as success, error or selection. Pair it with an icon, a label or a change in weight.
What brick red means
Red is the most urgent color: passion, energy, appetite and danger. Darker reds like burgundy and wine shift toward luxury and tradition.
Brick red is the color of fired clay bricks. It feels solid, warm and slightly industrial, with strong links to architecture and urban design.
Red is reserved for errors and destructive actions in most interfaces. If red is your brand color, keep it for marketing surfaces and give destructive actions an explicit label as well as a color.
Where brick red works best
- Architecture and construction
- Craft and heritage brands
- Rustic restaurants
- Urban design
How to style brick red
Brick red pairs with charcoal, cream, sand and slate. It supports white text in buttons. Use it for construction, craft and heritage brands.
Build a UI with brick red
Inspo AI generates a full React + Tailwind screen using #CB4154 as the brand color, grounded in real shipped designs.
Sources and further reading
- Wikipedia: Brick Red · History and definition of brick red.
- WCAG 2.1: Contrast (Minimum) · The W3C rule behind the 4.5:1 and 3:1 thresholds used on this page.
- WCAG 2.1: Use of Color · Why color should never be the only way information is shown.
- MDN: CSS color values · Reference for hex, rgb() and hsl() syntax.
- Tailwind CSS: Customizing colors · How to add a custom color scale to your theme.
Similar colors
Questions people ask
What is the hex code for brick red?
The hex code for brick red used on this page is #CB4154. In RGB that is rgb(203, 65, 84), and in HSL it is hsl(352, 57%, 53%).
What colors go well with brick red?
Brick Red pairs well with #8E2C3A, #F7EDE9, #2F3437 (the Warehouse palette above). Its complementary color is #41CBB8, and analogous colors are #CB4199 and #CB7341.
Is brick red a warm or cool color?
Brick Red is a warm color. Its hue sits at 352 degrees on the color wheel with 57% saturation.
Can I use brick red for text?
Brick Red has a contrast ratio of 4.75:1 against white and 4.42:1 against black. Body text needs at least 4.5:1, so it works as text on white backgrounds.
What does brick red mean?
Red is the most urgent color: passion, energy, appetite and danger. Darker reds like burgundy and wine shift toward luxury and tradition. Brick Red in particular is used for architecture and construction and craft and heritage brands.
How do I use brick red in Tailwind CSS?
Use an arbitrary value like bg-[#CB4154] for a one-off, or add the 50-950 scale from this page to theme.extend.colors in tailwind.config.js and use classes like bg-brick-red-500 and text-brick-red-900.
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