Pairing 1 of 10
PCB Green, the complement
Eggplant + PCB Green
P1.34 Green is Eggplant's complement: the hue directly across the wheel. Each makes the other look more saturated than it is alone, so a little of either goes a long way. See PCB Green
- Walls & home
- Use one on the walls and the other only in objects you can move: pillows, a throw, one lamp.
- Web & brand
- One is your action color, the other is for rare emphasis. Never both on one button.
- Outfits
- One garment each, separated by a neutral layer, reads styled rather than loud.
Pairing 2 of 10
Voldemort, a warm-side neighbor
Eggplant + Voldemort
Eggplant and Voldemort are wheel neighbors. Their shared undertone makes the combination feel like one idea in two weights rather than two competing colors. See Voldemort
- Walls & home
- Safe across large surfaces: walls in one, curtains or a rug in the other.
- Web & brand
- Ideal for gradient fills and chart series that must feel related.
- Outfits
- Head-to-toe works: the two shades read as an intentional tonal outfit.
Pairing 3 of 10
Blackberry, a cool-side neighbor
Eggplant + Blackberry
Eggplant and Blackberry are wheel neighbors. Their shared undertone makes the combination feel like one idea in two weights rather than two competing colors. See Blackberry
- Walls & home
- Safe across large surfaces: walls in one, curtains or a rug in the other.
- Web & brand
- Ideal for gradient fills and chart series that must feel related.
- Outfits
- Head-to-toe works: the two shades read as an intentional tonal outfit.
Pairing 4 of 10
Dark Olive, split-complement one
Eggplant + Dark Olive
This is the diplomatic version of a complement. Dark Olive contrasts strongly with Eggplant without the vibration a true opposite can produce at high saturation. See Dark Olive
- Walls & home
- Cabinetry or a feature wall in one, ceramics and textiles in the other.
- Web & brand
- Primary/secondary button pair, if both pass contrast on your background.
- Outfits
- A main piece in one and accessories in the other.
Pairing 5 of 10
Rich Black, split-complement two
Eggplant + Rich Black
This is the diplomatic version of a complement. Rich Black contrasts strongly with Eggplant without the vibration a true opposite can produce at high saturation. See Rich Black
- Walls & home
- Cabinetry or a feature wall in one, ceramics and textiles in the other.
- Web & brand
- Primary/secondary button pair, if both pass contrast on your background.
- Outfits
- A main piece in one and accessories in the other.
Pairing 6 of 10
Madras, from the triad
Eggplant + Madras
Eggplant and Madras form two-thirds of an equilateral triangle on the wheel. The spacing guarantees contrast while keeping the pair from reading as rivals. See Madras
- Walls & home
- Keep two of the three at low saturation in a room; let one carry the chroma.
- Web & brand
- Three chart series that stay distinguishable without shouting.
- Outfits
- Two in clothing, the third only in small accents: bag, socks, scarf.
Pairing 7 of 10
Drama Queen, the tonal pale
Eggplant + Drama Queen
Same hue, more light. Drama Queen behaves like Eggplant's own highlight, which is why tonal schemes feel so composed. See Drama Queen
- Walls & home
- Walls in the pale one, trim and millwork in the deeper one reads custom, not matchy.
- Web & brand
- Surface and hover states of the same component family.
- Outfits
- Layer them: the lighter piece inside, the deeper piece outside.
Pairing 8 of 10
Belladonna, the anchor shade
Eggplant + Belladonna
A darker cut of the same hue family. Deep-plus-mid pairings give a scheme structure the way a baseline gives type structure. See Belladonna
- Walls & home
- The dark one grounds floors, doors, or an accent wall; the mid one lives at eye level.
- Web & brand
- The dark one is your text-safe tone; the mid one handles fills and accents.
- Outfits
- The deep one for trousers or outerwear, the mid one up top near the face.
Pairing 9 of 10
Melanzane, the working neutral
Eggplant + Melanzane
Every strong color needs a quiet counterpart. Melanzane has just enough of an undertone to relate to Eggplant without competing for attention. See Melanzane
- Walls & home
- The neutral takes the biggest surfaces; the color earns the details.
- Web & brand
- The neutral is your surface system; the color marks interactive elements.
- Outfits
- Build the outfit in the neutral and let the color be the one piece people remember.
Pairing 10 of 10
Ink and paper
Eggplant + King Kong
The classic frame. With ink and paper around it, Eggplant becomes the single point of color, which is the strongest way to feature any hue. See King Kong
- Walls & home
- White walls, near-black frames and hardware, and the color in art and textiles.
- Web & brand
- A near-monochrome UI with one accent tests well and ships timeless.
- Outfits
- Black and white basics with the color as the single statement piece.
The map
Every pairing on the wheel
Hue is the angle, chroma is the distance from center, both measured in OKLCH from each color's actual value. Complements land across the disc; neighbors cluster; neutrals sink toward the middle.
- Eggplant 330°
- PCB Green 144°
- Voldemort 292°
- Blackberry 350°
- Dark Olive 117°
- Rich Black 195°
- Madras 92°
- Drama Queen 335°
- Belladonna 353°
- Melanzane 336°
- King Kong 85°
Pitfalls
Common mistakes with Eggplant
- Mistake 1 Pairing Eggplant with a second color of identical lightness. Nothing anchors, and the scheme floats. Bring one partner up or down in value.
- Mistake 2 Using the complement at full strength across a large area. It is an accent relationship, not a 50/50 split.
- Mistake 3 Cooling it accidentally: many grays lean blue, and next to a warm color like Eggplant they read dingy. Choose a warm-leaning neutral.
FAQ
Eggplant pairing FAQs
What is the complementary color of Eggplant?
Eggplant's complement lands closest to PCB Green (#002D04), computed by rotating its OKLCH hue 180 degrees. The measured difference between them is ΔE 54.3.
Is Eggplant warm or cool?
Eggplant reads neutral, leaning warm. That matters for pairing: partners with the opposite temperature add contrast, same-temperature partners add calm.
What neutrals go with Eggplant?
Melanzane is the computed pick: it keeps a trace of Eggplant's own hue, so the pair can't clash. Pure white and near-black always work as the frame.