#E1DBD0Merino (#E1DBD0) is a near-white neutral with an OKLCH hue of 83°, lightness 0.89 and chroma 0.016. In practice it behaves as a background color — quiet over large surfaces.
| HEX | #E1DBD0 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(225, 219, 208) |
| HSL | hsl(39, 22%, 85%) |
| HSV | hsv(39, 8%, 88%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 3%, 8%, 12%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(87.6 0.2 6.1) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.893 0.016 83) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Merino 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.
#e9d5c2 — ΔE 2.1, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity#e9dccc — ΔE 1.3, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#e1dbd0 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#e1dcd3 — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Merino 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 1.38:1 and against black 15.24:1, 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.
#f7f1e7 · #e1dbd0 · #a7a198 · #817c74 · #5c5952 · #3b3732
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.
#e1dbd0 · #e9c097 · #daa98e · #c89487 · #b38181 · #9d707b
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.
#e1dbd0 · #b2c1a9 · #b0996f · #6b885b · #725e38 · #3c4b34
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.
#e1dbd0 · #bfb7a9 · #a3947a · #526995 · #423722 · #241d0f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#e1dbd0 · #bbbfc6 · #8a857b · #4e5055 · #252017 · #010103
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.
#e1dbd0 · #a09d97 · #45423b · #28251e · #070502 · #f0bb4d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e1dbd0 · #b7bfce · #7286aa · #3a507a · #101f3f · #0d0500
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e1dbd0 · #b7bfce · #608ca4 · #524876 · #002435 · #010006
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e1dbd0 · #afc3c5 · #589095 · #644268 · #2f1532 · #000203
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e1dbd0 · #b1c4bd · #5f9182 · #3a507a · #371123 · #000007
#E5DFD6 · #E8E4DB · #ECE8E1 · #EFECE6 · #F3F0EC
#B8B2A8 · #908B83 · #6A665F · #46433D · #26231E
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.