#B0C4DELight Steel Blue (#B0C4DE) is a light, muted blue with an OKLCH hue of 255°, lightness 0.81 and chroma 0.043. It sits on the cool side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #B0C4DE |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(176, 196, 222) |
| HSL | hsl(214, 41%, 78%) |
| HSV | hsv(214, 21%, 87%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(21%, 12%, 0%, 13%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(78.5 -1.3 -15.2) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.814 0.043 255) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Light Steel Blue shifts subtly: leans toward purple, loses intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 2.2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#b9bfd0 — ΔE 2.2, shifts subtly: leans toward purple, loses intensity#b7c5da — ΔE 1.1, shifts subtly: leans toward purple#b0c4de — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#b0c5e1 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedAgainst white it measures 1.78:1 and against black 11.8:1, 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.
#e9f3ff · #b0c4de · #92a4bc · #6e7e93 · #4c5a6c · #2d3948
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.
#b3e6f9 · #a8d6f7 · #b0c4de · #9faddc · #9997c3 · #9182a8
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.
#b0c4de · #a99db5 · #6a86aa · #725b89 · #354d6c · #372c42
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.
#dce7f5 · #b0c4de · #bb996a · #6e8097 · #516074 · #37424f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#b0c4de · #aaa59f · #6e747d · #484541 · #161c24 · #020100
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.
#ebf3fd · #b0c4de · #949eac · #1a2635 · #000512 · #f4b24c
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#b0c4de · #aea497 · #896f4b · #5d3f0d · #291800 · #000108
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#b0c4de · #aea497 · #926956 · #4c470e · #331000 · #040300
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#b0c4de · #b3a0a1 · #946568 · #334e23 · #0d2201 · #090001
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#b0c4de · #b1a0a9 · #8e667c · #5d3f0d · #002316 · #130700
#BACCE3 · #C5D4E8 · #D0DDEE · #DAE5F3 · #E5EDF8
#8EA0B7 · #6E7D92 · #4F5D6E · #323D4C · #18212D
#B4C4D8 · #B8C3D2 · #BCC3CC
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.