Cool Color Palette: Hex Codes and Ideas
A cool color palette is built from the cool half of the color wheel — blues, greens, purples, and the in-between hues like teal, mint, and slate. Cool colors feel calm, clean, and trustworthy, and they appear to recede from the viewer, which makes spaces feel larger and designs feel more spacious. The named palettes and hex table below are ready to use, followed by the theory of cool versus warm and how to apply it.
To compare the two temperature families directly, see our warm vs cool colors guide, and for the opposite family, the warm color palette. For the psychology of calm and trust, see color psychology; the breezy coastal color palette is a popular cool-leaning scheme. For more blue and teal options, see our shades of blue reference.
What colors are in a cool palette?
Cool colors are those with a blue, green, or purple undertone — physically, they sit on the half of the color wheel running from green through blue to violet. The core members include blue (#2E5EAA), teal (#1B8A8F), green (#3E8E5A), and purple (#6C5B9E), plus the soft and neutral cool hues mint (#9BD3C0) and slate (#5C6B7A). What unites them is the sensation of coolness and distance — they evoke water, sky, ice, and shade, and they lower the emotional temperature of any design, reading as calm, professional, and clean.
| Color name | Hex | RGB | Role |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | #2E5EAA | 46, 94, 170 | Primary |
| Teal | #1B8A8F | 27, 138, 143 | Secondary |
| Green | #3E8E5A | 62, 142, 90 | Supporting |
| Purple | #6C5B9E | 108, 91, 158 | Accent |
| Mint | #9BD3C0 | 155, 211, 192 | Light accent |
| Slate | #5C6B7A | 92, 107, 122 | Neutral / anchor |
5 cool palettes with hex codes
Each scheme below stays within the cool family while varying mood from corporate to soft. Copy the hex codes directly.
1. Classic Cool
The signature cool mix — calm, clean, and professional.
Blue #2E5EAA Teal #1B8A8F Green #3E8E5A Mint #9BD3C0 Cool White #F0F4F5
2. Ocean Deep
Layered blues and teals for a calm, expansive feel.
Deep Navy #1B3A5C Blue #2E5EAA Teal #1B8A8F Sky Teal #5FA8B5 Mint #9BD3C0
3. Cool Forest
Greens and teals for a fresh, natural, restful scheme.
Green #3E8E5A Teal #1B8A8F Pine #24573A Mint #9BD3C0 Slate #5C6B7A
4. Cool Twilight
Blues and purples for a moody, sophisticated mood.
Purple #6C5B9E Blue #2E5EAA Indigo #4A3F6B Lavender #9B8FC4 Slate #5C6B7A
5. Soft Cool
Pale, airy cool tones for a clean, minimal, spa-like look.
Mint #9BD3C0 Powder Blue #AFC7D9 Soft Lilac #C4BBD9 Slate #5C6B7A Cool White #F0F4F5
What makes a color cool? Cool vs warm theory
Color temperature is the most fundamental way designers group colors. Cool colors — blues, greens, and purples — are associated with water, sky, ice, and shade. Warm colors — reds, oranges, and yellows — are associated with fire and sunlight. The split runs roughly down the middle of the color wheel, with green-yellow and red-violet as the transition points.
The practical effects are real and predictable. Cool colors recede, appearing farther away and making spaces feel larger and calmer, which is why they suit backgrounds, large areas, and anything meant to feel spacious and unhurried. They read as professional, trustworthy, clean, and serene — which is why so many tech, finance, healthcare, and wellness brands are blue. “Cool” and “warm” are also relative within a hue: a green can be a cool green (blue-leaning) or a warm green (yellow-leaning), and the same applies across the wheel. Our warm vs cool colors guide explains how to identify undertones and use temperature contrast deliberately.
How to use a cool palette in design
Cool palettes are calm and easy to live with, but the main risk is the opposite of warm schemes — they can feel cold, distant, or impersonal if used without relief. Add warmth or life with a small accent: a touch of coral, gold, or a warm neutral against a cool scheme creates inviting contrast and stops it from feeling clinical. Anchor the palette with a cool neutral such as Slate (#5C6B7A) and use a cool white like Cool White (#F0F4F5) for backgrounds.
A 60-30-10 split works well: 60% cool neutral or light background, 30% a primary cool hue (blue or teal), 10% a richer accent (purple or deep teal). Because many cool colors — especially blues and slates — provide strong contrast against white, they make reliable, accessible text colors. For maximum impact, pair a cool scheme with a single complementary warm accent; the temperature contrast is one of the most powerful tools in color design. For more blues, see our shades of blue reference.
Cool palette for branding, web, and interiors
In branding, cool palettes signal trust, competence, calm, and professionalism, which is why they dominate technology, finance, healthcare, and corporate brands. Blue is the single most-used brand color for exactly this reason; teal adds modern freshness, green signals growth and sustainability. See how to choose brand colors to match a cool scheme to brand voice.
On the web, cool palettes create clean, calm, trustworthy interfaces, and cool darks make excellent, accessible text colors. The thing to watch is warmth: add a warm accent for calls to action so important buttons stand out against the cool field. For interiors, cool palettes make rooms feel larger, calmer, and more restful, which is why blues, greens, and slates are favored in bedrooms, bathrooms, and offices. Balance them with warm wood or a textile accent so the space feels serene rather than chilly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What colors are considered cool?
Cool colors sit on the blue-green-purple side of the color wheel: blue (#2E5EAA), teal (#1B8A8F), green (#3E8E5A), and purple (#6C5B9E), along with soft hues like mint and slate. They are associated with water and sky and tend to feel calm, professional, and spacious.
What is the difference between cool and warm colors?
Cool colors (blues, greens, purples) evoke water and sky, recede from the eye, and feel calm and professional. Warm colors (reds, oranges, yellows) evoke fire and sunlight, advance toward the eye, and feel energetic and cozy. The two families sit on opposite halves of the color wheel.
Do cool colors make a room look bigger?
Yes — because cool colors recede and appear farther away, they make walls feel like they are pushing back, which makes a room feel larger and more open. This is why pale blues and greens are popular in small bedrooms and bathrooms where you want a sense of space.
Are cool colors good for branding?
Yes — cool palettes, especially blue, signal trust, competence, and calm, which is why they dominate tech, finance, and healthcare branding. The main caveat is that cool colors can feel impersonal, so many brands add a warm accent to feel more approachable and human.
