#C4B9B8Nebulous (#C4B9B8) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 24°, lightness 0.79 and chroma 0.013. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #C4B9B8 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(196, 185, 184) |
| HSL | hsl(5, 9%, 75%) |
| HSV | hsv(5, 6%, 77%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 6%, 6%, 23%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(76 3.7 1.9) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.795 0.013 24) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Nebulous shifts subtly: takes on a red cast, gains intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.9), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#cbb4ac — ΔE 1.9, shifts subtly: takes on a red cast, gains intensity#cabab4 — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#c4b9b8 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#c4babb — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Nebulous 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 1.91:1 and against black 10.98:1, 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.
#f9efee · #c4b9b8 · #aa9f9e · #837a79 · #5f5756 · #3d3636
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.
#ffd7bc · #f5c0ae · #c4b9b8 · #d097a1 · #b6879b · #9c7792
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.
#c4b9b8 · #ab9a83 · #a1706c · #7a5b2d · #633936 · #382914
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.
#eedad8 · #c4b9b8 · #5da8af · #90706d · #6d514f · #493735
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eaf4f5 · #c4b9b8 · #a99c9b · #5b6262 · #302423 · #000202
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.
#f5f1f0 · #c4b9b8 · #4c4645 · #302929 · #0e0808 · #e34f50
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f5f1f0 · #c4b9b8 · #4c4645 · #302929 · #0e0808 · #dac54e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e1f7f9 · #c4b9b8 · #72abb1 · #1b6d74 · #002e32 · #050000
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e1f7f9 · #c4b9b8 · #78ac9d · #2f6784 · #003025 · #00060f
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e9f6e8 · #c4b9b8 · #8aaa88 · #4a608b · #172647 · #000200
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#f1f4e3 · #c4b9b8 · #9fa479 · #1b6d74 · #2a2044 · #000203
#CCC3C2 · #D5CCCC · #DDD6D6 · #E6E0E0 · #EFEAEA
#A19796 · #7F7675 · #5E5756 · #3F3939 · #231E1E
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.