#BB9E7CFrench Oak (#BB9E7C) is a light, muted orange with an OKLCH hue of 71°, lightness 0.72 and chroma 0.058. It sits on the warm side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #BB9E7C |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(187, 158, 124) |
| HSL | hsl(32, 32%, 61%) |
| HSV | hsv(32, 34%, 73%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 16%, 34%, 27%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(66.9 5.7 21.8) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.717 0.058 71) |
Under warm 2700K interior light French Oak shifts subtly: leans toward red; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.5), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#c09973 — ΔE 1.5, shifts subtly: leans toward red#c09e79 — ΔE 0.8, shifts subtly: leans toward red#bb9e7c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#bb9f7e — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest French Oak 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 2.53:1 and against black 8.29:1, 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.
#ffefdd · #dfc4a5 · #bb9e7c · #917859 · #6b553a · #47341c
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.
#d0cca0 · #c9b485 · #bb9e7c · #b38668 · #a17263 · #8d605e
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.
#bec7ad · #bb9e7c · #9e7f5a · #606f3d · #614625 · #2e361e
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.
#fce6cd · #d0c4b7 · #bb9e7c · #6085ae · #705f4b · #4d4235
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#edf2f9 · #bb9e7c · #8e877f · #4f5256 · #272018 · #010204
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.
#fbf0e2 · #d8cbbb · #bb9e7c · #43311b · #211000 · #f4ab4a
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#d3d8b3 · #bb9e7c · #217d8d · #764f4c · #262f4b · #051411
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e8f3ff · #bb9e7c · #5e91a2 · #4b4d7a · #002631 · #010007
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e2f7f5 · #bb9e7c · #5b9491 · #5f4670 · #2b1737 · #000202
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e5f7ed · #bb9e7c · #67947c · #31547a · #35132a · #00020b
#C6AC8E · #D1BAA0 · #DBC8B2 · #E6D6C4 · #F1E5D7
#9B8162 · #7C654A · #5E4A32 · #41311C · #271908
#B69F85 · #B1A18D · #ACA296
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.