What Is Kurumi-iro (Walnut Color)? Color Swatches, Color Codes, and Combination Examples

Kurumi-iro (胡桃色) is a Japanese color name pronounced “koo-roo-mee-ee-ro,” describing a subdued brown with reddish and yellowish undertones. On a website, choosing an actual color swatch and code is more reliable than referring to the name alone. This article explains the name’s roots in traditional dyeing, compares two published HEX values, and suggests practical combinations for the backgrounds, text, and buttons of a natural-dye exhibition page.

What is kurumi-iro? A brown associated with walnut dyeing

Kurumi-iro refers to a brown produced using dye materials from walnut trees, including bark and the outer husks of the fruit. Traditional Japanese sources describe walnut-derived dyes for cloth and paper. A Japanese dictionary even quotes The Kagerō Diary, written during the Heian period, as an early example referring to walnut-colored paper. The historical name is connected with dyeing, rather than being a precise measurement of the edible walnut kernel.

The depth of the resulting color can vary with dye materials and conditions, and modern reference swatches also differ. The Japanese color reference Wa-iro Daijiten uses ■#A86F4C, while another color-name resource gives ■#9D6757. HEX is a six-digit hexadecimal notation for specifying colors on the web. Both are examples; neither means that every use of the name kurumi-iro has exactly one universally fixed code.

In RGB, which describes screen colors using red, green, and blue light components, the first walnut swatch ■#A86F4C is red 168, green 111, and blue 76. The second ■#9D6757 is red 157, green 103, and blue 87. In these examples, the first is more yellow-orange, and the second is a little redder and more muted. Their contrast ratio is only about 1.12:1, showing that their relative brightness is very similar.

Combining walnut brown with paper colors on an exhibition website

Example 1: Make walnut brown the introductory background. For a page announcing an exhibition of naturally dyed textiles and paper, set the opening banner in walnut brown ■#A86F4C. Use black ■#000000 for the heading “An Exhibition of Natural-Dyed Cloth and Paper” and its short introduction. The contrast ratio between the text and the brown background is about 5.04:1. For dates and descriptions of the work, switch to a warm paper-colored ■#FAF6EF section with dark ink ■#2B3029 body text. This pair provides about 12.52:1.

Place an “Explore the Exhibition” button on the paper background ■#FAF6EF, using a deep brown ■#563728 fill and white ■#FFFFFF text. The lettering contrasts with the button at about 10.64:1, while the button contrasts with the surrounding paper at about 9.88:1. The main brown sets the tone, while the detailed text and action have stronger light-dark differences.

Example 2: Use walnut brown in smaller accents. When the page has long explanations, make the overall background warm paper ■#FAF6EF. Use deep brown ■#563728 for section headings and dark ink ■#2B3029 for body text. The heading contrasts with the paper at about 9.88:1. Put the event date and venue in a pale beige ■#F0E5D6 information card, retaining dark ink ■#2B3029 for text at about 10.84:1.

Use the second walnut swatch ■#9D6757 for the outline of that card. It contrasts about 3.74:1 with the inner beige ■#F0E5D6 and 4.32:1 with the outer paper background ■#FAF6EF. In this layout, walnut brown marks an important boundary instead of covering the entire section.

Check white text and subtle differences between brown shades

Normal-size white ■#FFFFFF text directly on the first walnut swatch ■#A86F4C has a contrast ratio of about 4.16:1, below the usual text requirement. The same brown ■#A86F4C used as small text on warm paper ■#FAF6EF provides only about 3.87:1. Choose a darker text color and check it against each background rather than assuming every brown works as text.

The two walnut swatches ■#A86F4C and ■#9D6757 differ by only about 1.12:1, so do not rely on them alone to show “Registration Open” versus “Registration Closed.” Add explicit wording or another visual cue. Warm paper ■#FAF6EF and pale beige ■#F0E5D6 also contrast at only about 1.15:1, so use an outline or spacing when the card boundary matters.

Under WCAG 2.2 Level AA (the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), normal text generally requires a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 and qualifying large text at least 3:1. Important non-text cues, such as some control boundaries, may also need 3:1 against adjacent colors. HueRoll lets you enter HEX values and check a selected color against white and black. It cannot compare arbitrary color pairs or automatically determine AA or AAA compliance. Verify the actual adjacent colors before publishing.