#EAE5D8Helium (#EAE5D8) is a near-white neutral with an OKLCH hue of 89°, lightness 0.92 and chroma 0.018. In practice it behaves as a background color — quiet over large surfaces.
| HEX | #EAE5D8 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(234, 229, 216) |
| HSL | hsl(43, 30%, 88%) |
| HSV | hsv(43, 8%, 92%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 2%, 8%, 8%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(91 -0.5 6.9) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.922 0.018 89) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Helium 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 ≈ 2.1), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#f3dfca — ΔE 2.1, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity#f2e6d3 — ΔE 1.3, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#eae5d8 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#eae6db — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Helium 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 1.26:1 and against black 16.7:1, 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.
#eae5d8 · #cec9bd · #a6a297 · #807c73 · #5c5951 · #3a3831
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.
#eae5d8 · #efcb9e · #e1b494 · #d09e8c · #bc8b86 · #a7787f
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.
#eae5d8 · #99ac96 · #96855a · #51754c · #5b4c25 · #273925
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.
#eae5d8 · #c7c1b2 · #a99e82 · #877d65 · #485783 · #2a2416
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eae5d8 · #c5c8cf · #8f8c82 · #525459 · #262218 · #010102
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.
#eae5d8 · #a09d97 · #46433b · #29261e · #080502 · #e7bf4d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#eae5d8 · #c2c8d7 · #7d8bb1 · #43527e · #162041 · #0d0600
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#eae5d8 · #c2c8d7 · #6a91ad · #5a4a78 · #00253c · #020006
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#eae5d8 · #b8ccd0 · #5f96a0 · #6b4468 · #331631 · #000304
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#eae5d8 · #b9cdc8 · #62988d · #43527e · #3a1321 · #000008
#ECE8DC · #EEEAE0 · #F0EDE5 · #F2F0E9 · #F4F2ED
#BFBAAF · #959187 · #6E6A62 · #49463E · #27241E
Its high lightness and low chroma make it a natural background or large-surface color. In palettes it pairs most predictably with its tonal ramp and analogous neighbors; reserve the complementary hue for small, deliberate contrast.