#574A47Molasses (#574A47) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 33°, lightness 0.42 and chroma 0.018. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #574A47 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(87, 74, 71) |
| HSL | hsl(11, 10%, 31%) |
| HSV | hsv(11, 18%, 34%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 15%, 18%, 66%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(32.7 4.9 3.8) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.421 0.018 33) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Molasses shifts subtly: takes on a red cast; 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.
#5a4842 — ΔE 0.9, shifts subtly: takes on a red cast#5a4a45 — ΔE 0.6, is virtually unchanged#574a47 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#574a48 — ΔE 0.2, is virtually unchangedTest Molasses 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 8.48:1 and against black 2.48:1, 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.
#a79c99 · #837674 · #574a47 · #3e322f · #1e1512 · #040101
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.
#87684a · #7d523b · #574a47 · #5d2d30 · #471f2c · #321326
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.
#b1a488 · #9b8350 · #736851 · #574a47 · #4f261d · #310e07
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.
#89d1e1 · #a2857e · #796864 · #574a47 · #432923 · #21120f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eaf4f6 · #b3a6a3 · #616869 · #574a47 · #3e3330 · #000102
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.
#f6f0ef · #cfc8c6 · #574a47 · #2c2321 · #0a0403 · #e9593d
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f6f0ef · #cfc8c6 · #574a47 · #2c2321 · #0a0403 · #d9c64e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e2f6fb · #7db4c0 · #277280 · #574a47 · #003d48 · #050000
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e2f6fb · #7eb6ad · #3e6b8e · #574a47 · #003f39 · #00040e
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e7f7eb · #8db598 · #586392 · #574a47 · #2b3356 · #000601
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#eff5e4 · #a2b086 · #277280 · #574a47 · #3c2d51 · #000305
#706461 · #8A7F7C · #A49B98 · #C0B8B6 · #DCD5D4
#493D3B · #3B312F · #2E2523 · #221A18 · #160F0E
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.