diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/color_config.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/color_config.rs
index 7feedbd4fd..62e93c855c 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/color_config.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/viewers/color_config.rs
@@ -15,72 +15,97 @@ use std::collections::HashMap;
 // }
 
 pub fn lookup_ansi_color_style(s: String) -> Style {
-    match s.as_str() {
-        "g" | "green" => Color::Green.normal(),
-        "gb" | "green_bold" => Color::Green.bold(),
-        "gu" | "green_underline" => Color::Green.underline(),
-        "gi" | "green_italic" => Color::Green.italic(),
-        "gd" | "green_dimmed" => Color::Green.dimmed(),
-        "gr" | "green_reverse" => Color::Green.reverse(),
-        "gbl" | "green_blink" => Color::Green.blink(),
-        "gst" | "green_strike" => Color::Green.strikethrough(),
-        "r" | "red" => Color::Red.normal(),
-        "rb" | "red_bold" => Color::Red.bold(),
-        "ru" | "red_underline" => Color::Red.underline(),
-        "ri" | "red_italic" => Color::Red.italic(),
-        "rd" | "red_dimmed" => Color::Red.dimmed(),
-        "rr" | "red_reverse" => Color::Red.reverse(),
-        "rbl" | "red_blink" => Color::Red.blink(),
-        "rst" | "red_strike" => Color::Red.strikethrough(),
-        "u" | "blue" => Color::Blue.normal(),
-        "ub" | "blue_bold" => Color::Blue.bold(),
-        "uu" | "blue_underline" => Color::Blue.underline(),
-        "ui" | "blue_italic" => Color::Blue.italic(),
-        "ud" | "blue_dimmed" => Color::Blue.dimmed(),
-        "ur" | "blue_reverse" => Color::Blue.reverse(),
-        "ubl" | "blue_blink" => Color::Blue.blink(),
-        "ust" | "blue_strike" => Color::Blue.strikethrough(),
-        "b" | "black" => Color::Black.normal(),
-        "bb" | "black_bold" => Color::Black.bold(),
-        "bu" | "black_underline" => Color::Black.underline(),
-        "bi" | "black_italic" => Color::Black.italic(),
-        "bd" | "black_dimmed" => Color::Black.dimmed(),
-        "br" | "black_reverse" => Color::Black.reverse(),
-        "bbl" | "black_blink" => Color::Black.blink(),
-        "bst" | "black_strike" => Color::Black.strikethrough(),
-        "y" | "yellow" => Color::Yellow.normal(),
-        "yb" | "yellow_bold" => Color::Yellow.bold(),
-        "yu" | "yellow_underline" => Color::Yellow.underline(),
-        "yi" | "yellow_italic" => Color::Yellow.italic(),
-        "yd" | "yellow_dimmed" => Color::Yellow.dimmed(),
-        "yr" | "yellow_reverse" => Color::Yellow.reverse(),
-        "ybl" | "yellow_blink" => Color::Yellow.blink(),
-        "yst" | "yellow_strike" => Color::Yellow.strikethrough(),
-        "p" | "purple" => Color::Purple.normal(),
-        "pb" | "purple_bold" => Color::Purple.bold(),
-        "pu" | "purple_underline" => Color::Purple.underline(),
-        "pi" | "purple_italic" => Color::Purple.italic(),
-        "pd" | "purple_dimmed" => Color::Purple.dimmed(),
-        "pr" | "purple_reverse" => Color::Purple.reverse(),
-        "pbl" | "purple_blink" => Color::Purple.blink(),
-        "pst" | "purple_strike" => Color::Purple.strikethrough(),
-        "c" | "cyan" => Color::Cyan.normal(),
-        "cb" | "cyan_bold" => Color::Cyan.bold(),
-        "cu" | "cyan_underline" => Color::Cyan.underline(),
-        "ci" | "cyan_italic" => Color::Cyan.italic(),
-        "cd" | "cyan_dimmed" => Color::Cyan.dimmed(),
-        "cr" | "cyan_reverse" => Color::Cyan.reverse(),
-        "cbl" | "cyan_blink" => Color::Cyan.blink(),
-        "cst" | "cyan_strike" => Color::Cyan.strikethrough(),
-        "w" | "white" => Color::White.normal(),
-        "wb" | "white_bold" => Color::White.bold(),
-        "wu" | "white_underline" => Color::White.underline(),
-        "wi" | "white_italic" => Color::White.italic(),
-        "wd" | "white_dimmed" => Color::White.dimmed(),
-        "wr" | "white_reverse" => Color::White.reverse(),
-        "wbl" | "white_blink" => Color::White.blink(),
-        "wst" | "white_strike" => Color::White.strikethrough(),
-        _ => Color::White.normal(),
+    if s.starts_with('#') {
+        match color_from_hex(&s) {
+            Ok(c) => match c {
+                Some(c) => c.normal(),
+                None => Style::default(),
+            },
+            Err(_) => Style::default(),
+        }
+    } else {
+        match s.as_str() {
+            "g" | "green" => Color::Green.normal(),
+            "gb" | "green_bold" => Color::Green.bold(),
+            "gu" | "green_underline" => Color::Green.underline(),
+            "gi" | "green_italic" => Color::Green.italic(),
+            "gd" | "green_dimmed" => Color::Green.dimmed(),
+            "gr" | "green_reverse" => Color::Green.reverse(),
+            "gbl" | "green_blink" => Color::Green.blink(),
+            "gst" | "green_strike" => Color::Green.strikethrough(),
+            "r" | "red" => Color::Red.normal(),
+            "rb" | "red_bold" => Color::Red.bold(),
+            "ru" | "red_underline" => Color::Red.underline(),
+            "ri" | "red_italic" => Color::Red.italic(),
+            "rd" | "red_dimmed" => Color::Red.dimmed(),
+            "rr" | "red_reverse" => Color::Red.reverse(),
+            "rbl" | "red_blink" => Color::Red.blink(),
+            "rst" | "red_strike" => Color::Red.strikethrough(),
+            "u" | "blue" => Color::Blue.normal(),
+            "ub" | "blue_bold" => Color::Blue.bold(),
+            "uu" | "blue_underline" => Color::Blue.underline(),
+            "ui" | "blue_italic" => Color::Blue.italic(),
+            "ud" | "blue_dimmed" => Color::Blue.dimmed(),
+            "ur" | "blue_reverse" => Color::Blue.reverse(),
+            "ubl" | "blue_blink" => Color::Blue.blink(),
+            "ust" | "blue_strike" => Color::Blue.strikethrough(),
+            "b" | "black" => Color::Black.normal(),
+            "bb" | "black_bold" => Color::Black.bold(),
+            "bu" | "black_underline" => Color::Black.underline(),
+            "bi" | "black_italic" => Color::Black.italic(),
+            "bd" | "black_dimmed" => Color::Black.dimmed(),
+            "br" | "black_reverse" => Color::Black.reverse(),
+            "bbl" | "black_blink" => Color::Black.blink(),
+            "bst" | "black_strike" => Color::Black.strikethrough(),
+            "y" | "yellow" => Color::Yellow.normal(),
+            "yb" | "yellow_bold" => Color::Yellow.bold(),
+            "yu" | "yellow_underline" => Color::Yellow.underline(),
+            "yi" | "yellow_italic" => Color::Yellow.italic(),
+            "yd" | "yellow_dimmed" => Color::Yellow.dimmed(),
+            "yr" | "yellow_reverse" => Color::Yellow.reverse(),
+            "ybl" | "yellow_blink" => Color::Yellow.blink(),
+            "yst" | "yellow_strike" => Color::Yellow.strikethrough(),
+            "p" | "purple" => Color::Purple.normal(),
+            "pb" | "purple_bold" => Color::Purple.bold(),
+            "pu" | "purple_underline" => Color::Purple.underline(),
+            "pi" | "purple_italic" => Color::Purple.italic(),
+            "pd" | "purple_dimmed" => Color::Purple.dimmed(),
+            "pr" | "purple_reverse" => Color::Purple.reverse(),
+            "pbl" | "purple_blink" => Color::Purple.blink(),
+            "pst" | "purple_strike" => Color::Purple.strikethrough(),
+            "c" | "cyan" => Color::Cyan.normal(),
+            "cb" | "cyan_bold" => Color::Cyan.bold(),
+            "cu" | "cyan_underline" => Color::Cyan.underline(),
+            "ci" | "cyan_italic" => Color::Cyan.italic(),
+            "cd" | "cyan_dimmed" => Color::Cyan.dimmed(),
+            "cr" | "cyan_reverse" => Color::Cyan.reverse(),
+            "cbl" | "cyan_blink" => Color::Cyan.blink(),
+            "cst" | "cyan_strike" => Color::Cyan.strikethrough(),
+            "w" | "white" => Color::White.normal(),
+            "wb" | "white_bold" => Color::White.bold(),
+            "wu" | "white_underline" => Color::White.underline(),
+            "wi" | "white_italic" => Color::White.italic(),
+            "wd" | "white_dimmed" => Color::White.dimmed(),
+            "wr" | "white_reverse" => Color::White.reverse(),
+            "wbl" | "white_blink" => Color::White.blink(),
+            "wst" | "white_strike" => Color::White.strikethrough(),
+            _ => Color::White.normal(),
+        }
+    }
+}
+
+fn color_from_hex(hex_color: &str) -> std::result::Result<Option<Color>, std::num::ParseIntError> {
+    // right now we only allow hex colors with hashtag and 6 characters
+    let trimmed = hex_color.trim_matches('#');
+    if trimmed.len() != 6 {
+        Ok(None)
+    } else {
+        // make a nu_ansi_term::Color::Rgb color by converting hex to decimal
+        Ok(Some(Color::Rgb(
+            u8::from_str_radix(&trimmed[..2], 16)?,
+            u8::from_str_radix(&trimmed[2..4], 16)?,
+            u8::from_str_radix(&trimmed[4..6], 16)?,
+        )))
     }
 }