#9AAFAFStormy Bay (#9AAFAF) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 197°, lightness 0.74 and chroma 0.023. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #9AAFAF |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(154, 175, 175) |
| HSL | hsl(180, 12%, 65%) |
| HSV | hsv(180, 12%, 69%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(12%, 0%, 0%, 31%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(69.9 -7.2 -2.5) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.738 0.023 197) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Stormy Bay shifts subtly: takes on a green cast; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 1.8), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#a2aba3 — ΔE 1.8, shifts subtly: takes on a green cast#a0b0ab — ΔE 1.0, shifts only faintly, with no single dominant change#9aafaf — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#9ab0b1 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedTest Stormy Bay 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 2.3:1 and against black 9.13:1, 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.
#e4f6f6 · #bacece · #9aafaf · #6f8181 · #4d5d5d · #2d3b3b
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.
#a9d8ef · #8ac9d7 · #9aafaf · #65a69a · #60927c · #5c7e61
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.
#9aafaf · #7a8ea2 · #3c7a7b · #2e5579 · #004042 · #0e2031
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.
#d2fafa · #bdd2d2 · #9aafaf · #b17678 · #4f6f70 · #394e4f
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#f9efef · #9aafaf · #859291 · #5a5454 · #192626 · #020101
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.
#ebf4f4 · #9aafaf · #364343 · #192626 · #000506 · #e54e61
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#ebf4f4 · #9aafaf · #364343 · #192626 · #000506 · #eebc4d
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#ffeded · #9aafaf · #b08082 · #7a4447 · #3c1418 · #000202
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#ffeded · #9aafaf · #aa8096 · #784830 · #381429 · #0f0200
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#f8edfc · #9aafaf · #9d84a7 · #6d5020 · #321f00 · #030004
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#f0f0ff · #9aafaf · #8b89b2 · #7a4447 · #272400 · #090001
#A8BBBB · #B6C6C6 · #C4D2D2 · #D3DEDE · #E2EAEA
#7D8F8F · #617171 · #465454 · #2C3939 · #151F1F
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.