#B5AB9CDesert Dune (#B5AB9C) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 78°, lightness 0.75 and chroma 0.024. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #B5AB9C |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(181, 171, 156) |
| HSL | hsl(36, 14%, 66%) |
| HSV | hsv(36, 14%, 71%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 6%, 14%, 29%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(70.4 1 9) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.745 0.024 78) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Desert Dune 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 ≈ 1.7), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#bba691 — ΔE 1.7, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#bbac99 — ΔE 1.0, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#b5ab9c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#b5ac9e — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Desert Dune in the color lighting simulator — sweep it through daylight, warm 2700K light, 4000K LED, and shade alongside the rest of your palette.
Against white it measures 2.27:1 and against black 9.27:1, so black text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid white text on this color entirely.
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.
#f9f1e4 · #d1c8ba · #b5ab9c · #847b6e · #5f584d · #3d372d
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.
#d4d7ab · #cdbf8e · #b5ab9c · #ba916d · #a97c67 · #956962
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.
#b5ab9c · #86937b · #856c45 · #465c2e · #4a3510 · #1a240f
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.
#d8cec0 · #b5ab9c · #6380ac · #584932 · #3a2d19 · #1b1407
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#edf2f9 · #b5ab9c · #969087 · #54575c · #28231a · #000102
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.
#f5f1eb · #b5ab9c · #484239 · #2b251c · #0a0501 · #f5b74d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#eaf3ff · #b5ab9c · #7a92b6 · #3c5881 · #0f2342 · #100600
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#eaf3ff · #b5ab9c · #6998ae · #55507f · #002837 · #010007
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e1f7f7 · #b5ab9c · #639c9e · #694972 · #301837 · #000202
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e4f7ef · #b5ab9c · #6c9d8a · #3c5881 · #391529 · #000007
#C0B7AA · #CBC3B7 · #D6CFC5 · #E1DCD3 · #ECE8E2
#958C7E · #756E62 · #585147 · #3C362D · #211D16
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.