#E5E0D5Hourglass (#E5E0D5) is a near-white neutral with an OKLCH hue of 86°, lightness 0.91 and chroma 0.016. In practice it behaves as a background color — quiet over large surfaces.
| HEX | #E5E0D5 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(229, 224, 213) |
| HSL | hsl(41, 24%, 87%) |
| HSV | hsv(41, 7%, 90%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 2%, 7%, 10%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(89.3 -0.2 6) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.908 0.016 86) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Hourglass 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.
#eedac7 — ΔE 2.1, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity#ede1d0 — ΔE 1.3, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#e5e0d5 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#e5e1d8 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Hourglass 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 1.32:1 and against black 15.95:1, 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.
#e5e0d5 · #cdc9be · #a6a298 · #807c74 · #5c5952 · #3a3832
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.
#e5e0d5 · #ecc69a · #ddaf90 · #cc9989 · #b88683 · #a2747d
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.
#e5e0d5 · #b5c6af · #b29f73 · #6c8d61 · #75633c · #3f4f3a
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.
#e5e0d5 · #c3bcad · #a6997e · #837861 · #445682 · #272012
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#e5e0d5 · #c0c3ca · #8d887f · #505257 · #252118 · #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.
#e5e0d5 · #a09d98 · #46433c · #29261f · #080502 · #ebbd4d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e5e0d5 · #bdc3d2 · #7888ae · #3f517c · #131f40 · #0a0400
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e5e0d5 · #bdc3d2 · #658fa8 · #564977 · #002539 · #010006
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e5e0d5 · #b3c8cb · #5b939b · #684368 · #311531 · #000304
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e5e0d5 · #b5c8c3 · #609587 · #3f517c · #381222 · #000008
#E8E3DA · #EBE7DF · #EEEAE3 · #F1EEE8 · #F3F1ED
#BBB6AC · #928E86 · #6C6861 · #47443E · #26241F
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.