diff --git a/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/core/room.py b/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/core/room.py
index f6e58343..2391f495 100644
--- a/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/core/room.py
+++ b/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/core/room.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
 from ..utils.pose import Pose
 from ..utils.polygon import inflate_polygon, polygon_and_height_from_footprint
 from ..utils.search_graph import Node
+from ..utils.general import parse_color
 
 
 class Room:
@@ -44,7 +45,7 @@ def __init__(
         """
         self.name = name
         self.wall_width = wall_width
-        self.viz_color = self._parse_color(color)
+        self.viz_color = parse_color(color)
 
         # Entities associated with the room
         self.hallways = []
@@ -74,29 +75,6 @@ def __init__(
         else:
             self.nav_poses = [Pose.from_list(self.centroid)]
 
-    def _parse_color(self, color):
-        """
-        Parses a color input and returns an RGB tuple.
-
-        :param color: Input color as a list, string, or hexadecimal.
-        :type color: list[float] | str
-        :return: RGB tuple in range (0.0, 1.0).
-        :rtype: list[float]
-        """
-        if isinstance(color, list) and len(color) == 3:
-            return color
-        elif isinstance(color, str):
-            if color in CSS4_COLORS:
-                return list(to_rgb(CSS4_COLORS[color]))
-            try:
-                return list(to_rgb(color))
-            except ValueError:
-                raise ValueError(f"Invalid color string or hex: {color}")
-        else:
-            raise ValueError(
-                f"Unsupported color format. Supported types are list[float] and string"
-            )
-
     def update_collision_polygons(self, inflation_radius=0):
         """
         Updates the collision polygons using the specified inflation radius.
diff --git a/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/utils/general.py b/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/utils/general.py
index 36e764f5..ac3b62e6 100644
--- a/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/utils/general.py
+++ b/pyrobosim/pyrobosim/utils/general.py
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 import os
 import yaml
+import re
+from matplotlib.colors import CSS4_COLORS, to_rgb
 
 
 def get_data_folder():
@@ -99,3 +101,30 @@ def replace_special_yaml_tokens(in_text, root_dir=None):
     out_text = out_text.replace("$PWD", root_dir)
 
     return out_text
+
+
+def parse_color(color):
+    """
+    Parses a color input and returns an RGB tuple.
+
+    :param color: Input color as a list, string, or hexadecimal.
+    :type color: list[float] | str
+    :return: RGB tuple in range (0.0, 1.0).
+    :rtype: list[float]
+    """
+    if isinstance(color, list) and len(color) == 3:
+        return color
+
+    if isinstance(color, str):
+        if color in CSS4_COLORS:
+            return list(to_rgb(CSS4_COLORS[color]))
+
+        hex_pattern = r"^#(?:[0-9a-fA-F]{3}){1,2}$"
+        if re.match(hex_pattern, color):
+            return list(to_rgb(color))
+
+        raise ValueError(f"Invalid color string or hex: {color}")
+
+    raise ValueError(
+        f"Unsupported color format. Supported types are list[float] and string"
+    )