Showa era
Hydrangea Red & Sulphine Yellow +1
Plate 142 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Hydrangea Red, Sulphine Yellow, Salvia Blue.
#a94151
red · 1 palette
Hydrangea Red
About Hydrangea Red
Hydrangea Red is a mid-tone, muted red tone. Its hex value is #a94151 — that is
RGB 169, 65, 81, or HSL 351°, 44%, 46%.
It holds 5.9:1 contrast against white, so Hydrangea Red works best for body text, headings, and UI labels. (On white it scores 5.9:1; on black 3.6:1.)
Across Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations, Hydrangea Red appears in 1 combination — most often paired with Sulphine Yellow and Salvia Blue.
Colours that go with Hydrangea Red
From a standard colour wheel, Hydrangea Red anchors these four classic schemes. Each swatch is computed from its exact hue, so every hex is a real, usable pairing.
Complementary
#a94151 #41A999
the hue directly opposite — the highest-contrast pairing, good for a single bold accent.
Analogous
#a94151 #A94185 #A96541
the two neighbours on the wheel — a calm, cohesive scheme that feels effortless.
Triadic
#a94151 #51A941 #4151A9
two hues an even third of the wheel away — balanced and lively without clashing.
Split-complementary
#a94151 #41A965 #4185A9
the two colours either side of the complement — the contrast of a complement, softened.
How to use Hydrangea Red
Hydrangea Red is a mid-tone, muted tone (HSL 351°, 44%, 46%), which makes it a versatile mid-tone for accents, buttons or blocks. For text it passes WCAG AA for body text against a light background (5.9:1) — safe for paragraphs, buttons and labels. When you do set type on it, use light lettering. Pair it with its complement (#41A999) for a focal accent, or with its analogous neighbours (#A94185 and #A96541) for a quieter, harmonious feel.
Palettes with Hydrangea Red
Hydrangea Red appears in 1 combination from the archive.
From the archive
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