Ash Grey #C1B5A9

Ash Grey (#C1B5A9) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 68°, lightness 0.78 and chroma 0.022. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.

Color values

HEX#C1B5A9
RGBrgb(193, 181, 169)
HSLhsl(30, 16%, 71%)
HSVhsv(30, 12%, 76%)
CMYKcmyk(0%, 6%, 12%, 24%)
CIE Lablab(74.3 2.2 7.6)
OKLCHoklch(0.780 0.022 68)

How Ash Grey behaves under real light

Under warm 2700K interior light Ash Grey shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity; 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.

Contrast & accessibility

Against white it measures 2.01:1 and against black 10.45:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.

Palettes built from Ash Grey

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.

#faf0e5 · #c1b5a9 · #aba095 · #857b71 · #60574f · #3e362f

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.

#e7dfb3 · #dfc799 · #c1b5a9 · #c8997d · #b68577 · #a07272

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.

#c1b5a9 · #959c82 · #947351 · #586431 · #573c1d · #262c13

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.

#e5d8cb · #c1b5a9 · #709ac1 · #85705b · #63513f · #413529

Quiet Support

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

#ecf3f9 · #c1b5a9 · #a29a92 · #5a5e62 · #2c251d · #010204

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.

#f6f1ec · #c1b5a9 · #484139 · #2b241c · #090401 · #f3a548

Complementary

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

#e8f3ff · #c1b5a9 · #7e9fbf · #396186 · #062844 · #120500

Split-complementary

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

#e8f3ff · #c1b5a9 · #70a5b4 · #535988 · #002c36 · #010007

Triadic

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

#e2f7f4 · #c1b5a9 · #6fa8a2 · #69527f · #2f1d3e · #000202

Tetradic

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

#e6f7ec · #c1b5a9 · #7ca78d · #396186 · #3a1931 · #00040f

Tints, shades & muted variants

Tints

#CABFB5 · #D3CAC0 · #DCD4CC · #E5DFD8 · #EFEAE5

Shades

#9E9489 · #7D746A · #5D554D · #3F3831 · #231E18

Using Ash Grey

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.

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