diff --git a/lume.lua b/lume.lua
index d157c2a..18074e4 100644
--- a/lume.lua
+++ b/lume.lua
@@ -682,6 +682,28 @@ function lume.ripairs(t)
 end
 
 
+function lume.color(str, mul)
+  mul = mul or 1
+  local r, g, b, a
+  r, g, b = str:match("#(%x%x)(%x%x)(%x%x)")
+  if r then
+    r = tonumber(r, 16) / 0xff
+    g = tonumber(g, 16) / 0xff
+    b = tonumber(b, 16) / 0xff
+    a = 1
+  elseif str:match("rgba?%s*%([%d%s%.,]+%)") then
+    local f = str:gmatch("[%d.]+")
+    r = (f() or 0) / 0xff
+    g = (f() or 0) / 0xff
+    b = (f() or 0) / 0xff
+    a = f() or 1
+  else
+    error(("bad color string '%s'"):format(str))
+  end
+  return r * mul, g * mul, b * mul, a * mul
+end
+
+
 function lume.rgba(color)
   local a = math_floor((color / 16777216) % 256)
   local r = math_floor((color /    65536) % 256)
diff --git a/test/test_lume.lua b/test/test_lume.lua
index f446276..bf9d58a 100644
--- a/test/test_lume.lua
+++ b/test/test_lume.lua
@@ -565,6 +565,23 @@ tests["lume.ripairs"] = function()
   tester.test.error(lume.ripairs, nil)
 end
 
+-- lume.color
+tests["lume.color"] = function()
+  testeq({ lume.color("#ff0000") },                   { 1, 0, 0, 1 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("#00ff00") },                   { 0, 1, 0, 1 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("#0000ff") },                   { 0, 0, 1, 1 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("rgb( 255, 255, 255 )") },      { 1, 1, 1, 1 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("rgb (0, 0, 0)") },             { 0, 0, 0, 1 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("rgba(255, 255, 255, .5)") },   { 1, 1, 1, .5 } )
+  testeq({ lume.color("#ffffff", 2) },                { 2, 2, 2, 2 }  )
+  testeq({ lume.color("rgba(255, 255, 255, 1)", 3) }, { 3, 3, 3, 3 }  )
+  tester.test.error(lume.color, "#ff00f")
+  tester.test.error(lume.color, "#xyzxyz")
+  tester.test.error(lume.color, "rgba(hello)")
+  tester.test.error(lume.color, "rgba()")
+  tester.test.error(lume.color, "rgba(1, 1, 1, 1")
+end
+
 -- lume.rgba
 tests["lume.rgba"] = function()
   local r, g, b, a = lume.rgba(0x12345678)