#979BA8Dusky Mood (#979BA8) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 272°, lightness 0.69 and chroma 0.02. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #979BA8 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(151, 155, 168) |
| HSL | hsl(226, 9%, 63%) |
| HSV | hsv(226, 10%, 66%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(10%, 8%, 0%, 34%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(64 1.2 -7.3) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.690 0.020 272) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Dusky Mood shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change; 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.
#9e979d — ΔE 1.8, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#9d9ca5 — ΔE 1.0, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#979ba8 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#979caa — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Dusky Mood 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 2.77:1 and against black 7.57:1, 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.
#eef1fc · #c5c9d5 · #979ba8 · #797c88 · #565963 · #353840
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.
#9fc7e4 · #93b0d8 · #979ba8 · #8783b1 · #806e97 · #755b7b
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.
#c7b3c8 · #979ba8 · #707ba4 · #765279 · #3a4365 · #362437
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.
#d5c38c · #979ba8 · #767a88 · #535a73 · #363c51 · #1d212f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f4f2ea · #979ba8 · #7d808a · #4f4d48 · #1c1f28 · #010100
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.
#f0f2f7 · #c7c9cf · #979ba8 · #21232b · #030409 · #e4c14d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f7f2e1 · #979ba8 · #8d8056 · #5c4c14 · #281e00 · #000007
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f7f2e1 · #979ba8 · #9b795b · #465422 · #321800 · #010100
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#ffede9 · #979ba8 · #a1736a · #2a5938 · #00270f · #050000
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#ffecf0 · #979ba8 · #9f727d · #5c4c14 · #002621 · #080400
#A6A9B5 · #B5B8C2 · #C4C7D0 · #D4D6DD · #E4E5EB
#7B7F8A · #61646E · #474A53 · #2F3239 · #191B21
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.