Laminate Clash
From Memphis · After one documented piece: color names from the sources, values chosen by Aesthetary
After the Casablanca sideboard (1981), whose laminate the V&A records as red, black, white and yellow. The four color names are documented; the exact shades are Aesthetary’s, taken from our Memphis page, not measured from the object.
From one documented piece: Casablanca sideboard, 1981, “red, black, white and yellow”. Not a palette of the whole Aesthetic.
#FFFFFF, canvas, 40%. #F2F0EB, surface, 10%. #191512, text and primary action, 21%. #4F4A45, muted text, 2%. #E33F2E, accent, 15%. #FFD94A, fill 1, 12%.
Suggested proportions
- 40% Canvas
- 18% Text
- 15% Accent
- 12% Fill 1
- 10% Surface
- 3% Primary action
- 2% Muted text
In use
New
Lamps that argue.
Laminate bases, mismatched shades.
Shop lampsColorways
#FFD94A, fill 1.
Studio sale
Seconds, one weekend only.
Email for the sale
kai@
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Using it well
18 color pairs are approved for use. 6 pairs are not for text. Each is listed under Contrast, by use.
Roles
13 colors, their HEX values, what each is for and where it comes from
| Role | Color | Use | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canvas | #FFFFFF | White, from the laminate. | Named in the sources: “white” From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Surface | #F2F0EB | Fields and panels. | Added by Aesthetary. The piece has no surface color; an off-white for fields. |
| Text | #191512 | Black, from the laminate: text and edges. | Named in the sources: “black” From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Muted text | #4F4A45 | Secondary text. | Added by Aesthetary. The piece has no secondary text color. |
| Primary action | #191512 | The action, in black, so the red stays a clash and not a button. | From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”; Aesthetary gives it this role. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Text on primary | #FFFFFF | Label on a black button. | From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”; Aesthetary gives it this role. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Secondary action | #191512 | Secondary action: a black outline. | From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”; Aesthetary gives it this role. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Border | #D8D4CC | Hairlines. Decorative only. | Added by Aesthetary. The piece has no rule. |
| Input border | #191512 | The edge of an input, in black. | From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”; Aesthetary gives it this role. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Accent | #E33F2E | Red, from the laminate: fields, wavy underlines and display type. | Named in the sources: “red” From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Focus | #191512 | Focus ring, in black. | From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”; Aesthetary gives it this role. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Fill 1 | #FFD94A | Yellow, from the laminate: fields set against the red. | Named in the sources: “yellow” From a documented variant, “Casablanca sideboard, 1981”. Basis: Aesthetary’s interpretation. |
| Error | #9B1B10 | Errors: a word and an icon, never color alone. | Added by Aesthetary. The piece has no status color; a red deeper than the laminate red, always with a word and an icon. |
Contrast, by use
18 approved pairs, all passing · 6 not for text
WCAG 2 ratios, computed from the colors. Text needs 4.5:1; large text (24px, or 18.66px bold) and non-text (a focus ring, a field’s only edge, an icon) need 3:1. Only the pairs listed as approved are recommended.
Approved pairs
| Pair | Contrast | Needs | For | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Text on Canvas | 18.15:1 | 4.5:1 | TextReading text | Passes |
| Text on Surface | 15.93:1 | 4.5:1 | TextReading text | Passes |
| Muted text on Canvas | 8.76:1 | 4.5:1 | TextSecondary text, captions | Passes |
| Muted text on Surface | 7.69:1 | 4.5:1 | TextSecondary text, captions | Passes |
| Text on primary on Primary action | 18.15:1 | 4.5:1 | TextLabel on the primary action | Passes |
| Secondary action on Canvas | 18.15:1 | 4.5:1 | TextSecondary action: label and outline | Passes |
| Secondary action on Surface | 15.93:1 | 4.5:1 | TextSecondary action: label and outline | Passes |
| Primary action on Canvas | 18.15:1 | 4.5:1 | TextLinks and small text in the action color | Passes |
| Primary action on Surface | 15.93:1 | 4.5:1 | TextLinks and small text in the action color | Passes |
| Focus on Canvas | 18.15:1 | 3:1 | Non-text (3:1)Focus ring | Passes |
| Focus on Surface | 15.93:1 | 3:1 | Non-text (3:1)Focus ring | Passes |
| Input border on Canvas | 18.15:1 | 3:1 | Non-text (3:1)Input edge, the only boundary of a field | Passes |
| Input border on Surface | 15.93:1 | 3:1 | Non-text (3:1)Input edge, the only boundary of a field | Passes |
| Error on Canvas | 8.21:1 | 4.5:1 | TextStatus message, always with a word or icon | Passes |
| Error on Surface | 7.21:1 | 4.5:1 | TextStatus message, always with a word or icon | Passes |
| Accent on Canvas | 4.19:1 | 3:1 | Large text onlyAccent at display size only | Passes |
| Accent on Surface | 3.68:1 | 3:1 | Large text onlyAccent at display size only | Passes |
| Text on Fill 1 | 13.20:1 | 4.5:1 | TextText set on this fill | Passes |
Not for text
- Accent on Canvas 4.19:1. Not for text. Large text and non-text only. Under 4.5:1: display-size text, icons and edges only.
- Accent on Surface 3.68:1. Not for text. Large text and non-text only. Under 4.5:1: display-size text, icons and edges only.
- Border on Canvas 1.48:1. Not for text. Fill or decoration only. Under 3:1: a fill or decoration only. Never text, an icon or a field’s only edge.
- Border on Surface 1.30:1. Not for text. Fill or decoration only. Under 3:1: a fill or decoration only. Never text, an icon or a field’s only edge.
- Fill 1 on Canvas 1.37:1. Not for text. Fill or decoration only. Under 3:1: a fill or decoration only. Never text, an icon or a field’s only edge.
- Fill 1 on Surface 1.21:1. Not for text. Fill or decoration only. Under 3:1: a fill or decoration only. Never text, an icon or a field’s only edge.
What makes it characteristic
Four colors from one object, combined against expectation rather than as a harmony. The documented rule is the clash: loud color paired against expectation. This is one piece, not a Memphis palette.
Limits of this palette
- The sources document the color names, not the shades. No measurement of the sideboard or a photograph of it was used: the red, black and yellow are our Memphis page’s own red, ink and lemon, and the white is plain white.
- One piece, not a Memphis palette. The sources say no fixed palette is documented; Memphis pieces run from red, black and white to mustard, rust, black and blue.
What the sources say
3 color descriptions in their own words · 4 color rules, each marked documented or Aesthetary’s interpretation
Named in the sources
- “a sponged pattern in red, black, white and yellow”
- “clashing pairings”
- “No fixed palette is documented.”
Color rules for this Aesthetic
- Combine loud color against expectation: clashing pairings, not harmonies. a documented rule
- Saturated primaries and pastels both occur in documented pieces; neither is required. a documented rule
- Do not treat any one palette as the Memphis palette; none is documented. a documented rule
- Mint, coral and lemon lead here, with blue and red against them. Aesthetary’s interpretation
Related
AestheticMemphis
Colour Elements in this AestheticPastel palette
Related palettesOutline and Fill, Flat Fields, Chemical Green, Tinted Plastic