Europe
Terra rossa and Sienese ochres — the warm half of the Mediterranean palette.
Tuscany's palette descends from the iron-rich earth of central Italy itself: raw and burnt sienna (named after the city), terra rossa, and Naples yellow have been mined and ground into pigment for over 800 years and supplied the Italian Renaissance with its working colors. The architectural register adds tile rosso, travertine cream, and the muted greens of olive groves and cypresses. Where Tuscany is restrained, Capri and Positano push toward turquoise sea + lemon yellow.
Iron oxide earth, Siena region
Mediterranean iron-rich clay
Travertine limestone
Tuscan hilltop cypresses
Sangiovese grape
Helianthus fields, Val d'Orcia
:root {
--sienese-ochre: #c68f58;
--terra-rossa: #9c3e2e;
--tuscan-cream: #eddfc6;
--cypress-green: #3f5e47;
--chianti-wine: #722f37;
--sunflower-yellow: #f3c220;
}Greece (Aegean)
Whitewashed walls and Aegean blue — the most-photographed two-color palette in tourism.
Scandinavia
Dusty pastels, ash whites, and forest greens — light scarcity made into a design language.
Iceland
Volcanic black, glacial blue, and lichen green — the palette of a country shaped by basalt and ice.
France (Paris)
Limestone facades, slate-grey roofs, and Hermès orange — the most disciplined urban palette in Europe.