#BAA38BSesame (#BAA38B) is a light, muted orange with an OKLCH hue of 68°, lightness 0.73 and chroma 0.043. It sits on the warm side of the color wheel. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #BAA38B |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(186, 163, 139) |
| HSL | hsl(31, 25%, 64%) |
| HSV | hsv(31, 25%, 73%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 12%, 25%, 27%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(68.4 4.6 15.6) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.729 0.043 68) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Sesame shifts subtly: leans toward red; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.6), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#bf9e81 — ΔE 1.6, shifts subtly: leans toward red#c0a388 — ΔE 1.0, shifts subtly: leans toward red#baa38b — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#baa48d — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Sesame 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 2.41:1 and against black 8.7:1, 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.
#ffefde · #dbc5af · #baa38b · #8d7964 · #675643 · #443525
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.
#d6cfa3 · #cfb789 · #baa38b · #b8896d · #a57668 · #916463
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.
#baa38b · #868d73 · #846542 · #4a5623 · #492f0e · #1a2008
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.
#ffead5 · #d4c8bb · #baa38b · #618ab1 · #75624f · #514538
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#ecf3f9 · #baa38b · #928a82 · #515559 · #282119 · #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.
#f9f0e7 · #d5cbc0 · #baa38b · #3e3021 · #1c0f01 · #f3a74a
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#e8f3ff · #baa38b · #6f90af · #30577c · #03243f · #130600
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#e8f3ff · #baa38b · #6195a4 · #4b507d · #002731 · #010007
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e2f7f5 · #baa38b · #609893 · #604874 · #2b193a · #000202
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e6f7ec · #baa38b · #6d977e · #30577c · #35142d · #00030d
#C5B09B · #CFBDAB · #DACBBB · #E5D8CB · #F0E6DC
#99856F · #7A6855 · #5C4D3C · #403325 · #251B0F
#B6A491 · #B2A597 · #AEA69D
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.