#B5ACABRose Ashes (#B5ACAB) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 25°, lightness 0.75 and chroma 0.01. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #B5ACAB |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(181, 172, 171) |
| HSL | hsl(6, 6%, 69%) |
| HSV | hsv(6, 6%, 71%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 5%, 6%, 29%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(71.1 3 1.7) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.752 0.010 25) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Rose Ashes 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 ≈ 1.7), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#bca8a0 — ΔE 1.7, shifts subtly: takes on a red cast, gains intensity#bbada7 — ΔE 1.1, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#b5acab — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#b5adad — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Rose Ashes 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 2.22:1 and against black 9.45:1, 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.
#f8f0ef · #cfc7c6 · #b5acab · #827b7a · #5e5757 · #3c3636
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.
#f3ccb0 · #e8b4a1 · #b5acab · #c28a93 · #a97a8d · #8f6b84
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.
#b5acab · #9d8d76 · #94635f · #6d5020 · #562e2b · #2d1f09
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.
#e0ccca · #b5acab · #4f9aa2 · #836360 · #614643 · #3d2c2a
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#eaf4f5 · #b5acab · #9c8f8e · #535a5a · #2c2120 · #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.
#f4f1f0 · #b5acab · #4b4645 · #2f2929 · #0d0908 · #e34f4c
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f4f1f0 · #b5acab · #4b4645 · #2f2929 · #0d0908 · #dac54e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e1f7f9 · #b5acab · #659ea4 · #0e646c · #002a2f · #050000
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e1f7f9 · #b5acab · #6b9f91 · #285f7c · #002c23 · #00050d
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e9f6e9 · #b5acab · #7c9d7c · #445783 · #152243 · #000200
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#f1f4e3 · #b5acab · #91976d · #0e646c · #271d3f · #000304
#C0B8B7 · #CBC4C3 · #D6D0CF · #E1DCDB · #ECE8E7
#948C8B · #756E6D · #575150 · #3B3635 · #211D1C
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.