Colors that go with Teal for a nursery
Teal · #008080
Teal (#008080) — a balanced blue-green — pairs best with muted red, terracotta & clay, ochre & gold, and green. In a nursery, soften it with muted red, drawn from 8 historically-grounded combinations below.
A nursery wants soft, low-contrast partners — gentle colors that soothe rather than stimulate, and grow with the room past the first year.
About teal
Teal is a balanced blue-green — a saturated, cool colour that reads as deep and grounding. As a cool tone it looks most resolved next to warm and neutral partners that add the warmth it lacks, and it needs lighter shades nearby for the value contrast the eye reads as finished. That balance is what makes it feel serene in a nursery.
- HEX
- #008080
- RGB
- 0, 128, 128
- HSL
- 180°, 100%, 25%
- CMYK
- 100, 0, 0, 50
Accessibility: put light text on teal for AA legibility (contrast 4.6:1 against off-white).
Why teal pairs with muted red, terracotta & clay, ochre & gold, and green
Across the 8 historical combinations below, teal sits most often beside muted red, terracotta & clay, ochre & gold, and green. That tracks with colour theory: a cool, deep tone like this one wants warm and neutral partners that add the warmth it lacks so the scheme feels intentional rather than flat, and lighter partners supply the light-to-dark range the eye needs. A nursery wants soft, low-contrast partners — gentle colors that soothe rather than stimulate, and grow with the room past the first year.
- muted red
- terracotta & clay
- ochre & gold
- green
Using teal in a nursery
In a nursery, soften it with muted red and terracotta & clay. Because teal is deep and grounding, keep it to anchor pieces or a single feature area and let muted red carry the larger surfaces.
8 combinations with teal, from the 1933 Dictionary
Grenadine Pink & Naples Yellow +1
Plate 193 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Grenadine Pink, Naples Yellow, Light Porcelain Green.
#00908a #f48067 #fbe6a0
Cream Yellow & Ecru +2
Plate 302 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Cream Yellow, Ecru, Nile Blue, Antwarp Blue.
#007190 #fdbf68 #c2ae93 #bce4e5
Seashell Pink & Olive +2
Plate 334 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Seashell Pink, Olive, Yellow Green, Antwarp Blue.
#007190 #fdd4bd #837e31 #afd472
Spectrum Red & Ivory Buff +2
Plate 266 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Spectrum Red, Ivory Buff, Rainette Green, Benzol Green.
#00978d #e31f26 #ebd3a2 #8fa071
Light Brown Drab & Vinaceous Tawny +2
Plate 244 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Light Brown Drab, Vinaceous Tawny, Andover Green, Antwarp Blue.
#007190 #b59392 #c56127 #6d7e77
Pale Burnt Lake & Pinkish Cinnamon +2
Plate 258 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pale Burnt Lake, Pinkish Cinnamon, Olive, Antwarp Blue.
#007190 #802626 #eeb480 #837e31
Indian Lake & Vinaceous Cinnamon +2
Plate 299 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Indian Lake, Vinaceous Cinnamon, Oil Green, Antwarp Blue.
#007190 #c53c69 #eea78c #819238
Brick Red & Apricot Orange +2
Plate 328 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Brick Red, Apricot Orange, Vandyke Brown, Light Porcelain Green.
#00908a #a84222 #f68c50 #4b3317
Teal in other settings
Other colors
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