Ash `#BEBAA7`

Ash (#BEBAA7) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 97°, lightness 0.79 and chroma 0.027. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.

Color values

HEX	`#BEBAA7`
RGB	`rgb(190, 186, 167)`
HSL	`hsl(50, 15%, 70%)`
HSV	`hsv(50, 12%, 75%)`
CMYK	`cmyk(0%, 2%, 12%, 25%)`
CIE Lab	`lab(75.4 -1.9 10.1)`
OKLCH	`oklch(0.787 0.027 97)`

How Ash behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Ash shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.8), so it is a lighting-stable choice.

Warm interior (2700K incandescent / warm LED): → #c5b59b — ΔE 1.8, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast
Neutral LED (4000K task and retail lighting): → #c4bba3 — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change
Daylight (6500K standard daylight (reference)): → #bebaa7 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged
Blue-sky shade (cool daylight (~10000K proxy)): → #bebba9 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchanged

Test Ash in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 1.95:1 and against black 10.77:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.

Colors that go with Ash

Tonal

One color explored: close hues with real lightness and chroma structure, so the palette is the anchor through value rather than a set of colors.

#f6f2e1 · #bebaa7 · #a6a391 · #807d6d · #5c594c · #3b382c

Analogous

The anchor's neighbours on the wheel — everything shares an undertone, so the chord carries color without anything having to be muted to get along.

#d3e8bf · #ccd2a0 · #bebaa7 · #bda374 · #b08d6b · #a07863

Shifted

The mid-gap pairing — sage and mustard, terracotta and olive. A foil rotated 40–65° toward warm or cool: too far to be kin, too near to argue, carried by temperature and a deliberate value offset.

#bebaa7 · #8ba18e · #877d50 · #3f6b48 · #4d441b · #1b301f

Contrast

One deliberately opposed voice — a single restrained counterpoint across the wheel, or temperature against temperature where the anchor is too muted to carry a loud opposite.

#e1ddcd · #bebaa7 · #9e987b · #535a88 · #3f3a23 · #221f10

Quiet Support

The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.

#f0f1f9 · #bebaa7 · #a09e93 · #5e5f64 · #29271d · #010102

Bright Accent

This color as a ground rather than a subject — its own restraint held across a narrow value band, carrying one saturated voice from the opposite temperature.

#f3f2eb · #bebaa7 · #424034 · #252217 · #050300 · #ddc44e

Complementary

The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.

#eef1ff · #bebaa7 · #949bc3 · #545b89 · #202346 · #070400

Split-complementary

The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.

#eef1ff · #bebaa7 · #80a1c1 · #6a5380 · #062944 · #020005

Triadic

Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.

#e2f6fc · #bebaa7 · #72a7b6 · #7a4e6e · #3a1932 · #000407

Tetradic

Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.

#e2f7f4 · #bebaa7 · #71aaa4 · #545b89 · #401821 · #010007

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#C7C4B3 · #D0CDBF · #DAD7CB · #E3E1D7 · #EDEBE3

Shades

#9B9887 · #7A7768 · #5B584B · #3D3A2F · #211F16

Using Ash

Its moderate chroma lets it work in mid-size areas — upholstery, secondary UI surfaces, editorial blocks — without overwhelming neighbors. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.