#AD9A5DKathmandu (#AD9A5D) is a light, soft yellow with an OKLCH hue of 93°, lightness 0.69 and chroma 0.083. 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 | #AD9A5D |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(173, 154, 93) |
| HSL | hsl(46, 33%, 52%) |
| HSV | hsv(46, 46%, 68%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 11%, 46%, 32%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(64 -1.5 34.5) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.689 0.083 93) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Kathmandu shifts subtly: leans toward orange; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#b29655 — ΔE 1.2, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#b29a5a — ΔE 0.8, shifts subtly: leans toward orange#ad9a5d — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#ad9b5f — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Kathmandu 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 2.78:1 and against black 7.56:1, 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.
#fff2c7 · #dac993 · #ad9a5d · #8d7c43 · #675824 · #443703
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.
#b7c89b · #b1b27b · #ad9a5d · #a48352 · #966d4b · #855a46
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.
#aac2aa · #ad9a5d · #8c7c4a · #406d42 · #514414 · #1c311c
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.
#ebe1bf · #c3bdac · #ad9a5d · #4b578a · #443c23 · #262111
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eff1fa · #ad9a5d · #838075 · #4b4d52 · #221f14 · #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.
#eef1fb · #c5c9d4 · #989ca9 · #1f2332 · #02040f · #ad9a5d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#edf1ff · #ad9a5d · #727ea8 · #3e497a · #151b40 · #0a0500
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#edf1ff · #ad9a5d · #5c85a5 · #564172 · #002139 · #020007
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e0f7fc · #ad9a5d · #4d8b98 · #673b61 · #32102d · #000204
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e0f8f3 · #ad9a5d · #4f8d83 · #3e497a · #390d1c · #01000b
#BAA974 · #C6B88A · #D3C7A0 · #E0D6B7 · #EDE6CD
#8F7E47 · #726331 · #56491D · #3C3107 · #231A00
#A99A6C · #A59B79 · #A19B86
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.