A warm color language for long-focus work

Hearth Code

HearthCode is a low-glare color language for code interfaces. It works in Open VSX-compatible editors and VS Code, while keeping the same semantic hierarchy across dark and light variants.

Start with Open VSX for VSX-compatible editors. Same palette language, same semantics.

Hearth Dark
// async data fetching with full type safety
import { createContext, useContext } from 'react'

interface ApiResponse<T> {
  data: T
  status: number
  ok: boolean
}

async function request<T>(
  url: string,
  options?: RequestInit
): Promise<ApiResponse<T>> {
  const res = await fetch(url, options)
  const data = await res.json() as T
  return { data, status: res.status, ok: res.ok }
}

const BASE = 'https://api.hearthcode.dev'
const TIMEOUT = 5_000

What You Get

One color language. Four tuned variants.

HearthCode keeps role mapping stable while tuning contrast and texture for different lighting environments.

VSX ecosystem ready

works in Open VSX-compatible editors and VS Code

4 variants

Dark, Dark Soft, Light, Light Soft

Stable semantics

same token roles across all variants

Hearth Dark

Hearth Dark

Default daily driver with warm contrast and strong token hierarchy.

Hearth Dark Soft

Hearth Dark Soft

Lower contrast pressure for late-night and dim-room sessions.

Hearth Light

Hearth Light

Paper-toned light mode tuned for docs and daylight coding.

Hearth Light Soft

Hearth Light Soft

Softer light contrast for calmer daytime focus and long reading flow.

Implementation Status

Shipped where you can use it today

HearthCode is positioned as a reusable color language. VS Code and Open VSX are implementation surfaces, not the product boundary.

Available

Open VSX Ecosystem

Install from Open VSX and use it in compatible editors.

Available

VS Code Marketplace

First-party distribution for VS Code users.

In Planning

Next Surfaces

Web theme surfaces and more editor targets.

HearthCode Philosophy

01

Ember, not flame

High-saturation syntax colors burn bright but exhaust your eyes. Hearth keeps highlights in a moderate saturation range, then tunes them under readability constraints so they stay warm without glare.

02

Neither black nor white

Pure black backgrounds can create halation around white text and blur edges. Hearth uses warm, non-extreme background tones across all four variants to keep glare down and reading layers stable.

  • Hearth Dark
  • Dark Soft
  • Hearth Light
  • Light Soft
03

Hierarchy as semantics

Brightness maps directly to semantic weight: keywords are brightest, functions next, variables after, and comments deliberately fade into the background.

04

Color temperature as comfort

The entire palette is warm-toned, below 4500K. High blue-light content strains the retina. A warm coding environment is easier on your eyes over long sessions.

Color System

bg · dark #23201c Dark canvas — soot blackboard beside the hearth
bg · dark-soft #2b2926 Dark Soft canvas — warmer gray-black for lower night contrast stress
fg · dark #d3c9b8 Dark foreground — chalky parchment white for long focus 9.9:1 AAA
keyword #c26f59 Keywords — ember red for control flow anchors 4.4:1 dec
function #d7ad70 Functions — brass amber for callable targets 7.8:1 AAA
string #8fb87d Strings — moss green with warm base 7.2:1 AAA
type #5d98a4 Types — mineral teal + italic for structural symbols 5.0:1 AA
number #ba846d Numbers — terracotta red for constants 5.1:1 AA
comment #6b5f4d Comments — intentionally dim, eye skips naturally 2.6:1 dec
bg · light #efe6d8 Light background — parchment off-white to reduce glare
bg · light-soft #e4d8c5 Light Soft background — softer parchment tone for calmer daylight contrast
fg · light #2a1e0f Light foreground — deep walnut brown for long-form reading 13.2:1 AAA
fg · light-soft #4b3a27 Light Soft foreground — mellow walnut ink to keep contrast pressure low 7.7:1 AAA

Next Step

Start where your editor already lives.

HearthCode is a color-language product first: shipped for Open VSX and VS Code today, extendable to more editors and web themes next.

Open-source (MIT) 4 Variants · Open VSX + VS Code Current release v1.0.17