Apricot
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Color Values
Color Meaning
Apricot represents sweetness, gentleness, and vitality. It's associated with warmth, playfulness, and positive energy. Apricot is a soft, inviting color that feels cheerful.
Learn more on WikipediaFrequently Asked Questions About Apricot
What two colors make apricot?
Apricot is made by mixing orange (red and yellow) with white. The result is a warm, soft orange color resembling the apricot fruit.
What's the difference between apricot and peach?
Apricot is more orange and less pink, while peach is softer and pinker. Both are light orange colors.
How do you make light apricot?
Light apricot is made by mixing apricot with more white, or by mixing orange with more white and less red.
The History of Apricot
Apricot as a color name derives from the stone fruit originating in China, where it has been cultivated for over 3,000 years. The apricot traveled along the Silk Road through Persia and Armenia to Rome, and eventually became a beloved European fruit by the Renaissance. As a color name, 'apricot' describing the pale orange-pink of the fruit's flesh and skin appeared in English in the late 19th century. In Victorian and Edwardian decorative arts, apricot was a fashionable drawing room and bedroom color — its warmth without intensity made it ideal for intimate domestic spaces. In the early 20th century, apricot became a standard color for lingerie and undergarments as a flesh-tone alternative to white. In the 1970s–80s, apricot and peach tones dominated American interior design and bridal fashion, creating associations that the following decades would distance from.
Cultural Significance
Apricot sits culturally between the warmth of peach and the brightness of orange, carrying associations with warmth, femininity, and natural beauty. In the language of flowers (Victorian floriography), apricot-colored roses signify appreciation, gratitude, and sincerity — making them popular for thank-you and acknowledgment bouquets. In Middle Eastern and Mediterranean culinary cultures, apricot is prized as both fruit and dried preparation — 'Turkish delight' apricot confections carry cultural associations with exotic warmth and sweetness. In contemporary bridal and wedding culture, apricot has experienced revival as an alternative to white for wedding flowers, bridesmaid dresses, and table decor — it flatters a wide range of skin tones in photographs. In Japanese aesthetics, pale apricot-orange is associated with autumn harvest and the warm light of late-afternoon sun.
Color Psychology
Apricot is psychologically one of the most welcoming and nurturing colors — it shares peach's warmth and softness while adding a gentle orange brightness that feels more energizing. Research shows apricot environments are consistently rated as 'warm,' 'welcoming,' and 'comfortable' by study participants. In food psychology, apricot tones in environments and packaging stimulate appetite and associations with natural sweetness and fruit. Apricot is perceived as feminine, gentle, and naturally beautiful — it flatters skin tones in photography and creates universally warm, human-feeling environments. Unlike more aggressive oranges, apricot feels intimate and personal rather than commercial. In color therapy, apricot is used to promote feelings of warmth, self-nurturing, and gentle optimism.
Design Tips for Apricot
Apricot (#FB923C light-range, or pale #FDDCB5) is most effective as part of a warm, nature-inspired palette. For web design, use apricot as a gentle background tint (#FEF3C7 range) or accent, reserving stronger oranges for emphasis. Classic apricot pairings: apricot with cream and warm brown for natural warmth; apricot with sage green for a fresh botanical palette; apricot with dusty rose and warm gray for a soft, romantic editorial palette. In interior design, apricot walls in rooms with abundant natural light create extraordinary warmth. For branding in food, beauty, and wellness sectors, apricot signals natural warmth and organic origins. In floral and event design, apricot blooms (garden roses, ranunculus) mixed with cream and blush create the most universally flattering and photographed color palette. Avoid apricot with cool grays or blues — the warm-cool mismatch creates visual discord; anchor apricot with warm neutrals.