Microbial bio-pigment rugs are no longer a sci-fi fantasy—they are actively replacing toxic synthetic dyes with living, light-shifting structural color in the world’s most forward-thinking bohemian sanctuaries. As we step into 2026, the design world is pivoting away from static, petroleum-based textiles toward biologically grown home goods. These living rugs utilize self-assembling bacterial strains, fungal pigments, and algae-grown fibers to create incredibly rich, dynamic hues that mature and adapt to their environments. By integrating these bioreactive textiles, bohemian interiors are shifting from static representations of nature to active, breathing ecosystems that harmonize human health, artistic expression, and radical sustainability.
“Microbial bio-pigment rugs are innovative home textiles colored using live micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi, and algae. Unlike traditional chemical dyes, these bio-pigments offer ‘living structural color’—vibrant shades that shift beautifully under different light spectrums, consume 90% less water during production, and completely eliminate toxic runoff, making them the ultimate sustainable choice for 2026 bohemian spaces.”
1. The Algae-Cyan Ochre Rug in a Sun-Drenched Solarium
Curated Material & Color Pairings
To weave this vibrant living canvas into a cohesive bohemian sanctuary, pair the active, biological tones of the rug with quiet, grounded materials that celebrate texture over distracting patterns:
- Base Flooring: Light-washed, micro-topped concrete with a soft satin finish to reflect, rather than absorb, the cool cyan undertones of the rug.
- Accent Furniture: A low-slung, reclaimed travertine block coffee table, providing a heavy, monolithic contrast to the woven softness underfoot.
- Textile Companions: Unrefined bouclé throws in soft oatmeal and undyed wool, paired with raw silk pillows in muted clay and terracotta.
- Botanical Frame: Potted fiddle leaf figs in weathered, salt-crusted terracotta vessels and cascading Swiss cheese plants to echo the organic, living nature of the bio-pigments.
- Metal Accents: Hand-hammered, unlacquered brass hardware and floor lamps that will develop a natural patina over time, echoing the warm, evolving ochre tones of the weave.
2. Violacein Deep Purple Runner in a Raw Concrete Entryway
The threshold of a home should act as a sensory pause—a deliberate, architectural transition that gently coaxes the mind away from the outer world and into a state of quiet contemplation. In this brutalist-boho entryway, that pause is articulated through a striking juxtaposition of cold, industrial structure and rich, biological warmth. Resting upon a floor of raw, textured gray concrete is a magnificent runner that redefines luxury through the lens of ecological art. This exquisite piece, dyed using cutting-edge microbial bio-pigment rugs, introduces a level of color depth that traditional synthetic dyes simply cannot replicate.
The violacein pigment, synthesized naturally by atmospheric microbes, imbues the wool fibers with an astonishing spectrum of deep purples, bruised plums, and midnight violet tones. Because the color is grown rather than chemically applied, it possesses a beautiful, non-uniform saturation that responds dynamically to the environment. The raw concrete beneath it, with its cloudy patinas and cool, tactile imperfections, acts as a neutral gallery canvas. Together, the rug and the floor engage in a silent dialogue: the cold solidity of the stone elevates the lush, living warmth of the purple runner, turning a simple hallway into an immersive, atmospheric experience.
Against a wall finished in a soft, chalky, bone-white limewash, a minimalist reclaimed oak bench stands as a monument to quiet utility. Its seasoned, weathered grain and deep cracks echo the wabi-sabi philosophy of the home, offering a grounding, earthy counterpoint to the ethereal violet hues below. Atop the bench, a single handmade ceramic vase—heavy, asymmetrical, and finished in a coarse, sand-textured glaze—holds a dramatic bundle of dried pampas grass. The soft, feathered plumes spill outward, catching the low-angle atmospheric lighting and casting delicate, dancing shadows across the wall and the rich fibers of the rug.
The Architecture of Light and Color Dynamics
In a space defined by raw materials, lighting is the element that breathes life into the design. Here, the illumination is kept intentionally soft and low-slung, utilizing directional warm-toned spotlights that skim the surface of the floor. This specific lighting angle emphasizes the rich, organic variations within the microbial bio-pigment rugs, revealing hidden undertones of indigo, magenta, and charcoal that sleep within the violet pile. As natural light transitions to dusk, the runner appears to shift in weight and mood, morphing from an inviting, plush violet path during the day into a deep, mysterious, almost black-purple ribbon of shadow by nightfall.
Curated Materials & Color Harmony
- The Primary Canvas: Raw, poured-in-place concrete floors sealed with a matte, non-glossy finish to retain their industrial, velvety texture.
- The Timber Element: Reclaimed French or white oak, left unvarnished and matte-waxed, introducing rich, golden-brown tannins that beautifully contrast the cool purple undertones.
- The Metal Accents: Elements of oil-rubbed bronze or blackened steel in light fixtures and minimal hardware to anchor the ethereal quality of the bio-pigments.
- The Textile Pairing: Heavyweight, natural flax linens in charcoal or warm pumice, perfect for simple bench cushions or drapery in adjoining spaces.
3. Mycelium-Infused Indigo Area Rug in a Wabi-Sabi Bedroom
The Living Indigo Palette
The unique nature of grown colors requires a sympathetic, organic backdrop that allows the blue tones to hum without competition. Consider this refined palette to complement the rug’s living pigments:
- Desert Sand & Warm Alabaster: Best utilized on large-scale wall finishes and drapery to provide a soft, light-reflective envelope that enhances the rug’s cool, deep undertones.
- Weathered Ironwood & Raw Oak: Earthy, unvarnished timbers that ground the ethereal quality of the biological indigo with structural weight and structural honesty.
- Oxidized Bronze & Matte Black Iron: Minimalist hardware or structural accents that introduce a quiet, grounding metallic contrast to the soft, natural textiles.
Textural Synergy & Furniture Curation
Integrating microbial bio-pigment rugs into a luxury bedroom requires a delicate balance of minimalist form and rich, tactile materials that honor the natural world:
- The Bedframe: Opt for ultra-low profiles in unfinished teak, cedar, or salvaged barn wood, keeping the visual weight close to the earth and intimately connected to the rug.
- Accompanying Ceramics: Place unglazed, hand-coiled stoneware vases on the floor nearby, their raw, gritty surfaces beautifully contrasting the soft, mycelial fibers.
- Lighting: Introduce paper shoji-style pendants or cast-concrete sconces that emit a warm, diffused glow, casting soft-focus shadows across the indigo gradients.
4. Carotenoid Peach and Terracotta Rug in a Desert-Modern Salon
4. Carotenoid Peach and Terracotta Rug in a Desert-Modern Salon
Midday in the high desert possesses a unique, golden stillness—a suspended moment where the boundary between interior sanctuary and the vast, sun-baked landscape outside beautifully dissolves. At the heart of this desert-modern salon lies the grounding masterpiece: one of our signature microbial bio-pigment rugs, grown with living carotenoid strains that capture the exact, vibrant gradient of a Sonoran sunset. Unlike synthetic dyes that sit flatly on fiber, these bio-pigments offer a living, structural color that shifts under the changing light, moving from a soft, luminescent peach at dawn to a deep, grounding terracotta as the sun reaches its zenith.
The architectural envelope of the salon is designed to frame this biological artwork. A massive, clean-lined arched window dominates the far wall, acting as a living canvas that frames towering saguaro cacti and distant, dust-pink foothills. The midday sun streams through this opening, striking the rug’s surface and igniting its warm, carotenoid hues. This natural illumination coaxes out the subtle, microscopic variations in the weave, revealing a rich tapestry of organic oranges and silt-like terracotta tones that feel less like a manufactured home accessory and more like a natural extension of the desert floor itself.
To balance the intense warmth of the rug, the furniture layout favors low-slung, grounded profiles that emphasize a horizontal connection to the earth. A sculptural, low-profile cream bouclé sofa curves gently along the edge of the rug, its nubby, plaster-colored fibers offering a soft, tactile contrast to the dense, low-pile weave of the bio-pigmented wool. Layered upon the sofa are handwoven, textured throw pillows in shades of mustard and ochre, bridging the tonal gap between the cream upholstery and the fiery floor. In the center, a reclaimed travertine block table rests heavy and silent, its raw, porous surface echoing the prehistoric geology of the desert.
A Living Spectrum: Sunlight and Bio-Pigment Dynamics
The magic of choosing microbial bio-pigment rugs for sun-drenched spaces lies in their incredible reactivity to natural light. Because the color is derived from biological organisms—specifically carotenoid-producing micro-cultures—the fibers possess a prismatic quality. In the bright midday sun, the peach tones appear almost effervescent, casting a warm, healthy glow upward onto the plastered walls and ceiling. As evening approaches, the orange notes recede, leaving a rustic, moody terracotta that cradles the room in a quiet, subterranean comfort.
The Material Manifest: Textures and Pairings
Creating a sophisticated desert-modern aesthetic requires a meticulous balance of raw and refined materials. The organic nature of the living rug demands interior pairings that are equally authentic and tactile:
- Primary Upholstery: A low-slung sofa in a cream or off-white nubby bouclé to provide a soft, neutral anchor that highlights the rug’s vibrant warmth.
- Accent Textiles: Handwoven mustard and burnt-ochre throw pillows in raw silk or heavy-gauge linen to introduce layered depth.
- Architectural Accents: Large, hand-thrown terracotta pots placed in corners, housing architectural succulents and structural snake plants that mirror the outdoor flora.
- Metal Elements: Brushed bronze or oil-rubbed bronze lighting fixtures and hardware, adding a subtle, dark-toned contrast to the sun-bleached palette.
- Hard Surfaces: Reclaimed travertine or rough-hewn sandstone coffee tables that ground the seating arrangement with geological gravity.
5. Actinorhodin Magenta Rug in a Maximalist Botanical Library
The Alchemy of High-Contrast Color Play
The architectural envelope of this library is intentionally dark and moody. Towering, floor-to-ceiling mahogany bookshelves wrap the walls, their deep, reddish-black grains offering a grounded frame for the vibrant drama unfolding in the center of the room. Spilling over the upper ledges, cascades of devil’s ivy drape like living tapestries of vivid green, creating an exquisite color tension with the actinorhodin magenta below. Green and magenta are natural complementaries; by pairing the organic, trailing ivy with the living color of the rug, the room achieves a balanced, biophilic harmony that feels wild yet completely sophisticated.
Resting on the perimeter of this vibrant field of color is a vintage emerald green velvet armchair. The tactile juxtaposition of the plush, deep-pile bio-pigment fibers against the worn, low-sheen velvet of the chair establishes an immediate sense of old-world opulence. Illuminating this reading vignette is a classic stained-glass Tiffany lamp. Its warm, amber-gilded glow pools across the scene, catching the unique light-refracting properties of the actinorhodin pigment. Under this warm light, the rug reveals its true complexity—shifting from a bruised, moody plum in the shadows to a brilliant, glowing raspberry where the light strikes its surface.
Curated Material Pairings
To recreate this lush, maximalist aesthetic without overwhelming the senses, select companion pieces that carry their own structural and historical weight. The goal is to balance the high-vibrancy of the living magenta with materials that feel incredibly grounded:
- Woodwork & Floors: Matte-finished dark walnut, reclaimed ebony, or highly figured mahogany to absorb light and allow the rug to glow.
- Upholstery Fabrics: Heavy-weight textiles such as emerald velvet, olive mohair, or deep mustard corduroy that can stand up to the visual weight of the magenta.
- Metallic Accents: Antiqued brass, oil-rubbed bronze, and tarnished gold to complement the warm, stained-glass lighting.
- Botanicals: Large-leafed tropicals like Monstera Deliciosa, trailing devil’s ivy, or dark-veined Calatheas to mirror the biological origin of the rug’s pigment.
6. Spore-Grown Emerald Shag Rug in a Cozy Reading Nook
A quiet corner of a home should feel less like a curated gallery and more like an emotional sanctuary. Tucked into an intimate, sun-draped alcove, this bohemian reading nook is anchored by the breathtaking presence of a high-pile, spore-grown emerald shag rug. Far from a static floor covering, this piece represents the pinnacle of microbial bio-pigment rugs—a living canvas of structural color that breathes life into the surrounding architecture. Grown from curated fungal cultures that naturally yield a rich, undulating forest green, the rug’s biological fibers mimic the plush, damp floor of an ancient woodland. The deep, irregular pile captures light from every angle, shifting effortlessly from deep velvet moss to vibrant, sun-dappled lichen as the day progresses.
The Tactile Alchemy of the Living Hearth
To ground this biological masterpiece, the furniture layout relies on a delicate balance of contrasting textures. A generous cream sherpa armchair, boasting organic contours and a cloud-like silhouette, is positioned directly over the emerald shag. The juxtaposition of the nubby, off-white boucle-esque wool against the deep green pile creates an immediate visual and tactile hierarchy. Draped over the armchair, a chunky-knit, un-dyed sheep’s wool throw cascades down, its heavy stitch mirroring the organic complexity of the rug beneath it. Resting beside the chair is a low, hand-carved cedar side table, its raw, fragrant surface showcasing the rugged beauty of natural wood grain and providing a perfect resting place for a steaming ceramic mug of herbal tea.
The spatial composition is framed by a lush, floor-to-ceiling installation of potted ferns. Boston, maidenhair, and autumn ferns are clustered in varying terracotta and sand-blasted ceramic vessels, creating a multi-tiered canopy of greenery. This botanical layering blurs the boundary between the interior living space and the natural world, emphasizing the rug’s biological origin. Sunlight filtering through the delicate fronds casts dynamic, dappled shadows across the emerald fibers, highlighting the structural depth of the bio-pigments and making the entire nook feel like a secret forest clearing.
Curating the Bohemian-Biophilic Palette
To recreate this ultra-cozy, forest-like sanctuary, pair the vibrant biological tones of the rug with earthy neutrals and rich, tactile materials:
- Primary Canvas: Soft, plaster-washed walls in warm alabaster or pale bone to reflect natural light and allow the emerald green to command the space.
- Complementary Furniture: Seating upholstered in high-texture fabrics such as cream sherpa, heavy Belgian linen, or soft, distressed caramel leather.
- Organic Accents: Untreated cedar, reclaimed oak, and porous travertine block tables that introduce a grounding, mineral quality.
- Botanical Frame: A dense curation of feathery ferns, umbrella trees, and weeping figs to create a living, three-dimensional green backdrop.
- Warm Metal Details: Brushed antique brass or oil-rubbed bronze reading lamps to cast a warm, ambient glow that enhances the rug’s natural luminescence.
7. Bioluminescent Glow-Weft Rug in an Evening Meditative Space
The Alchemy of Shadow and Luminescence
To successfully style a space around the delicate, living radiance of bioluminescent fibers, one must embrace a palette of deep, light-absorbing textures that allow the rug’s native glow to command the room’s atmosphere. The goal is to create a soft contrast where the boundaries of the floor and walls feel beautifully infinite.
- Base Flooring: Matte-lacquered, wire-brushed ebonized oak or dark Douglas fir floorboards, which absorb ambient light and provide a seamless, dark backdrop that makes the rug appear as if it is floating.
- Primary Textiles: Slouchy, over-stuffed floor cushions and floor-to-ceiling drapery in heavyweight, enzyme-washed linens of midnight indigo, slate grey, and rich charcoal.
- Sculptural Accents: Raw, porous volcanic rock bowls, unpolished obsidian clusters, and hand-thrown matte black ceramic vessels to ground the room with earthy, tactile weight.
- Metallic Highlights: Weathered, oxidized brass or brushed antique bronze incense burners and candle holders that introduce a warm, grounding metallic counterpoint to the cool, living light of the rug.
- Color Palette Pairings: Deepest obsidian, ink blue, muted amber, and the soft, cool seafoam-cyan emitted by the bioluminescent weft.
Designing with living light requires a delicate balance of subtraction. By removing heavy furniture, sharp angles, and overhead fixtures, the room transitions from a utilitarian space to an ethereal sanctuary where the senses can truly rest. The subtle illumination of the microbial bio-pigment rug becomes more than just a design element; it becomes a quiet companion to your evening ritual, shifting and settling as the night deepens.
8. Streptomyces Coelicolor Blue Rug in a High-Ceiling Loft Studio
The Art of the Layout: Grounding the Loft
To honor the scale of the double-height walls, the furniture layout must be both deliberate and relaxed. The microbial bio-pigment rug serves as the compositional anchor of the entire studio. Spanning a generous twelve-by-fifteen feet, it defines a creative sanctuary within the open floor plan.- The Creative Zone: An artist’s heavy, oil-splattered wooden easel stands proudly at the edge of the rug, holding an oversized linen canvas that echoes the cool undertones of the floor textile.
- The Relaxed Suspension: Stretched lazily between two structural black steel columns is a thick, hand-woven raw cotton hammock. Its ivory tassels brush the edge of the blue-and-lavender pile, inviting moments of quiet contemplation.
- The Low-Profile Seating: A low-slung, modular sofa upholstered in a chalky, plaster-colored bouclé frames the opposite side of the rug, ensuring that the visual weight remains close to the ground to emphasize the loft’s soaring height.
Complementary Color & Material Pairings
Designing around a living color-shifter requires a curated palette that supports, rather than competes with, the rug’s natural transitions. To balance the cool, elemental blues and soft lavenders of the *Streptomyces coelicolor* organism, the surrounding materials should emphasize rich, tactile warmth and earthy groundedness.- Materials: Pair the rug with reclaimed French oak coffee tables, matte black iron hardware, and brushed pewter accents to ground the airy qualities of the blue tones.
- The Textile Mix: Layer raw linens, heavy-gauge knitted wool throws in charcoal grey, and unbleached cotton canvas to enhance the bohemian, studio-atelier aesthetic.
- The Palette: Surround the space with muted terracotta, warm sandstone, charcoal, and flashes of deep olive green via oversized, leafy fiddle-leaf figs and creeping monsteras that climb the weathered brickwork.
9. Melanin-Rich Charcoal Flatweave in a Scandinavian-Boho Dining Room
9. Melanin-Rich Charcoal Flatweave in a Scandinavian-Boho Dining Room
Sunlight filters through sheer linen drapes, pooling across expansive, pale-bleached Scandinavian oak floorboards. At the heart of this sun-drenched sanctuary sits a design piece that anchors the room not just with its physical presence, but with its biological soul: a flatweave rug saturated in biosynthesized melanin. This space beautifully demonstrates how luxury microbial bio-pigment rugs can redefine minimalist spaces, grounding the airy lightness of Nordic architecture with the rich, grounded warmth of bohemian textiles.
The rug itself is a masterclass in organic depth. Unlike traditional petroleum-based black dyes, which can look flat and synthetic under direct sunlight, the living melanin pigments create a dynamic surface. As light sweeps across the dining room, the flatweave reveals intricate micro-variations. Deep, soot-like charcoal shifts gently into cool ash gray, while subtle undertones of espresso and warm clove emerge in the tighter wefts of the weave. This natural variation mimics the charred beauty of Shou Sugi Ban wood, offering an earthy complexity that elevates the entire dining experience.
Positioned directly on top of this dark masterpiece is a minimalist dining table crafted from solid, raw-brushed light oak, matching the floorboards beneath to create a sophisticated layered wood effect. The high-contrast pairing is exquisitely refined: the pale oak table legs slice through the dark charcoal flatweave, highlighting the rug’s hand-loomed texture. Surrounding the table, minimalist matte black dining chairs with woven paper cord seats provide a sharp, graphic silhouette that bridges the gap between the pale timber and the deep, rich tones of the bio-pigment canvas below.
The Art of the Tabletop and Surrounding Textures
To prevent the contrast from feeling too stark, the styling incorporates soft, tactile elements that celebrate the imperfect beauty of artisan craft. The center of the table features a curated cluster of hand-glazed ceramic vases. These vessels, finished in volcanic ash and sandy stoneware glazes, echo the mineral tones of the rug, tying the vertical plane of the room directly back to the floor.
- The Palette: A base of bleached oak and alabaster walls, anchored by espresso, charcoal, and warm soot, with accents of soft cream and dried botanical ochre.
- The Drapery: Soft, unlined Belgian linen panels in oatmeal that diffuse the light, casting a warm, romantic glow over the dark floor elements.
- The Lighting: A low-slung, oversized paper pendant light floating above the table, providing a delicate, organic counterweight to the structural density of the flatweave rug.
This layout is a testament to the power of textural tension. By placing a highly saturated, bio-pigmented rug in an otherwise airy, light-filled room, you create a visual gravity well that invites guests to linger. The flatweave profile keeps the dining area feeling clean and functional, while the organic nature of the melanin dye ensures that the minimalist aesthetic never feels cold or clinical.
10. Fungal-Derived Amber Kelp Rug in a Wellness Transition Space
Steam clings softly to the cleft face of charcoal-colored slate walls, transforming the boundaries of this wellness transition wetroom into a glistening, subterranean canvas of shadow and light. In this mist-shrouded sanctuary, the air carries a grounding, mineral dampness—the perfect backdrop for the sensory masterpiece resting upon the dark gray stone floor. Here, a fungal-derived amber kelp rug commands the space, serving as a breathtaking testament to the quiet revolution of microbial bio-pigment rugs in ultra-luxury bohemian design. Rather than fighting the humidity of the wetroom, this living textile thrives within it, its golden-brown gradient deepening and responding to the atmospheric moisture with a subtle, organic luster that synthetic fibers could never hope to replicate.
The Spatial Architecture of Steam and Slate
The layout of this transition zone is intentionally sparse, allowing the architectural textures and the rug’s biological artistry to breathe. Placed precisely where the cooling shower mist begins to settle, the rug bridges the physical shift between wet and dry zones. Soft, recessed warm lighting is concealed within the ceiling architecture, casting a low-angled, amber glow that washes down the slate walls and pools directly onto the rug’s surface. This illumination catches the microscopic, crystalline structures of the spore-grown pigments, making the transition from deep, earthbound charcoal tiles to the radiant, golden-brown kelp gradient feel almost supernatural. The rug becomes a focal point of warmth, drawing the eye down and grounding the body as it transitions from the sensory intensity of the steam bath to a state of quiet repose.
Material Pairings and Tactile Curations
To honor the raw, elemental beauty of the rug’s fungal origin, the surrounding furniture and accessories are kept beautifully uncomplicated, focusing on tactile contrasts and natural durability:
- Sustainably Sourced Teak: A simple, low-profile Indonesian teak wood stool, left completely unstained to weather naturally, sits at the corner of the rug. Its warm, honeyed grain beautifully mirrors the mid-tones of the living amber gradient.
- Lush, Hydrated Botanicals: A curated cluster of moisture-loving tropical ferns—such as delicate Maidenhair and architectural Bird’s Nest ferns—in raw, hand-thrown basalt pots frames the wetroom view, adding a vibrant, living green crown to the earthy floor landscape.
- Textured Slate & Basalt: The cool, split-face dark gray stone floor tiles provide a rigid, architectural counterpoint to the soft, plush, and irregular pile of the fungal fibers.
- Monolithic Bronze Accents: Minimalist, oil-rubbed bronze plumbing fixtures and a low basalt dish for cold-pressed botanical soaps introduce a refined, industrial grounding to the ethereal atmosphere.
The Living Palette
Designing around a living biological textile requires a color story that respects the natural evolution of organic tones. The palette of this wellness space is deeply connected to the forest floor and the misty shoreline:
- Base Neutrals: Wet slate, deep charcoal, and damp moss gray create a moody, high-contrast frame that makes the rug’s central glow feel incredibly intentional.
- Warm Highlights: Fungal amber, oxidized gold, and rich kelp brown form the living heart of the room, shifting in tone depending on the humidity and light levels.
- Botanical Accents: Saturated forest green and bright chartreuse from the thriving ferns introduce a necessary, life-affirming freshness to the rich, dark stone background.
Expert Q&A
What are microbial bio-pigment rugs?
Microbial bio-pigment rugs are innovative, eco-friendly home textiles colored using pigments grown naturally by micro-organisms such as bacteria, fungi, and algae. This biological dyeing method eliminates the need for toxic petroleum-based synthetic dyes and drastically reduces water consumption during production.
Do microbial bio-pigment rugs change color over time?
Yes, many of these rugs feature ‘living structural color’ or light-reactive properties. Depending on the specific micro-organisms used, the hues can subtly mature, deepen, or shift colors when exposed to different light spectrums, seasonal temperatures, and moisture levels, adding a dynamic, evolving beauty to your space.
Are microbial bio-pigment rugs safe for homes with pets and kids?
Absolutely. Once the biological growing and dyeing process is complete, the pigments are stabilized. Since the production process uses zero heavy metals or toxic fixing agents, these rugs are completely non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and perfectly safe for children and pets.
How do you clean and maintain a microbial bio-pigment rug?
Because bio-pigments are chemically different from synthetic dyes, it is best to clean them with mild, pH-neutral organic soaps and cold water. Avoid harsh chemical spot cleaners or bleach, which can degrade the natural structural proteins and alter the bio-pigmented color gradients.