diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Globals/colors.swift b/nirvana-ios/Globals/colors.swift
index 44c23fb..675f9e6 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Globals/colors.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Globals/colors.swift
@@ -8,31 +8,30 @@
 import Foundation
 import SwiftUI
 
-extension UIColor {
-    public convenience init?(hex: String) {
-        let r, g, b, a: CGFloat
-
-        if hex.hasPrefix("#") {
-            let start = hex.index(hex.startIndex, offsetBy: 1)
-            let hexColor = String(hex[start...])
-
-            if hexColor.count == 8 {
-                let scanner = Scanner(string: hexColor)
-                var hexNumber: UInt64 = 0
-
-                if scanner.scanHexInt64(&hexNumber) {
-                    r = CGFloat((hexNumber & 0xff000000) >> 24) / 255
-                    g = CGFloat((hexNumber & 0x00ff0000) >> 16) / 255
-                    b = CGFloat((hexNumber & 0x0000ff00) >> 8) / 255
-                    a = CGFloat(hexNumber & 0x000000ff) / 255
-
-                    self.init(red: r, green: g, blue: b, alpha: a)
-                    return
-                }
-            }
+extension Color {
+    init(hex: String) {
+        let hex = hex.trimmingCharacters(in: CharacterSet.alphanumerics.inverted)
+        var int: UInt64 = 0
+        Scanner(string: hex).scanHexInt64(&int)
+        let a, r, g, b: UInt64
+        switch hex.count {
+        case 3: // RGB (12-bit)
+            (a, r, g, b) = (255, (int >> 8) * 17, (int >> 4 & 0xF) * 17, (int & 0xF) * 17)
+        case 6: // RGB (24-bit)
+            (a, r, g, b) = (255, int >> 16, int >> 8 & 0xFF, int & 0xFF)
+        case 8: // ARGB (32-bit)
+            (a, r, g, b) = (int >> 24, int >> 16 & 0xFF, int >> 8 & 0xFF, int & 0xFF)
+        default:
+            (a, r, g, b) = (1, 1, 1, 0)
         }
 
-        return nil
+        self.init(
+            .sRGB,
+            red: Double(r) / 255,
+            green: Double(g) / 255,
+            blue:  Double(b) / 255,
+            opacity: Double(a) / 255
+        )
     }
 }
 
@@ -41,4 +40,11 @@ final class NirvanaColor {
     static let bgLightGrey:Color = Color(red: 0.898, green: 0.898, blue: 0.898)
     static let white: Color = Color.white
     static let black: Color = Color.black
+    
+    // turqouise and stones color palettes
+    static let light:Color = Color(hex: "2a416a")
+    static let orangy:Color = Color(hex: "305955")
+    static let solidTeal:Color = Color(hex: "258786")
+    static let dimTeal:Color = Color(hex: "ca7558")
+    static let solidBlue:Color = Color(hex: "9ec2b6")
 }
diff --git a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/HeaderView.swift b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/HeaderView.swift
index f98dd1a..9bb2cc9 100644
--- a/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/HeaderView.swift
+++ b/nirvana-ios/Views/Templates/HeaderView.swift
@@ -26,12 +26,15 @@ struct HeaderView: View {
                     .aspectRatio(contentMode: .fill)
                     .frame(width: 40, height: 40)
                     .clipShape(Circle())
-                    .padding()
+                    .padding(5)
                     .shadow(radius:5)
             }
         }
-        .background(Color(self.averageColor))
         .frame(maxWidth: .infinity)
+//        .background(Color(self.averageColor)) // color based on user's profilepicture dominant color
+        .background(NirvanaColor.solidBlue)
+        .cornerRadius(100)
+        .padding(.horizontal)
         .onAppear{
             // set background color based on profile picture tint
             if authStore.sessionState == SessionState.isAuthenticated {