#4D503CKelp (#4D503C) is a dark, muted yellow-green with an OKLCH hue of 115°, lightness 0.42 and chroma 0.032. 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 | #4D503C |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(77, 80, 60) |
| HSL | hsl(69, 14%, 27%) |
| HSV | hsv(69, 25%, 31%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(4%, 0%, 25%, 69%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(33.2 -5.2 11.4) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.423 0.032 115) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Kelp shifts subtly: drifts toward yellow; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 0.9), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#514e37 — ΔE 0.9, shifts subtly: drifts toward yellow#50503a — ΔE 0.5, shifts subtly: drifts toward yellow#4d503c — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#4d503d — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Kelp 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 8.31:1 and against black 2.53:1, so white text is the stronger pairing. That pairing passes WCAG AA for body text. Avoid black 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.
#9ea190 · #797c6a · #4d503c · #353725 · #17190a · #020200
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.
#59795b · #51663d · #4d503c · #473e09 · #3e2b00 · #311900
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.
#8daea0 · #58967d · #557165 · #4d503c · #33370a · #1b1e00
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.
#aeb297 · #6f6494 · #4d503c · #303225 · #161902 · #030300
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f2f1f8 · #a9aba0 · #67666b · #4d503c · #36372d · #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.
#f1f3ea · #c8cac0 · #4d503c · #222416 · #030400 · #c2cf4e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#f2efff · #aca3cc · #6a5e8e · #4d503c · #382f53 · #010100
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#f2efff · #97aad0 · #7d587f · #4d503c · #253557 · #030004
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e4f5ff · #85b0ca · #895469 · #4d503c · #4f2738 · #00050d
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e1f7f9 · #7cb5bb · #6a5e8e · #4d503c · #522825 · #010006
#666957 · #818473 · #9D9F91 · #B9BBAF · #D6D8CF
#404331 · #343626 · #27291B · #1C1E11 · #111208
#4D5040 · #4D4F44 · #4D4F47
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.