#B9A281Taupe (#B9A281) is a light, muted orange with an OKLCH hue of 77°, lightness 0.72 and chroma 0.053. 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 | #B9A281 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(185, 162, 129) |
| HSL | hsl(35, 29%, 62%) |
| HSV | hsv(35, 30%, 73%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 12%, 30%, 27%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(67.8 3.4 20.3) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.724 0.053 77) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Taupe 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.
#be9d77 — ΔE 1.6, shifts subtly: leans toward red#bea27e — ΔE 0.8, shifts subtly: leans toward red#b9a281 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#b9a383 — ΔE 0.3, is virtually unchangedAgainst white it measures 2.46:1 and against black 8.55:1, 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.
#ffefd9 · #dbc6a7 · #b9a281 · #8d795c · #68563c · #44351f
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.
#cecfa4 · #c7b888 · #b9a281 · #b38a68 · #a27562 · #8f635c
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.
#b9a281 · #808c74 · #7f653f · #425627 · #452f09 · #161f09
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.
#fdeace · #d1c7b9 · #b9a281 · #6685b1 · #52442f · #31281b
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#edf2f9 · #b9a281 · #908980 · #505358 · #272118 · #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.
#faf0e3 · #d5cabb · #b9a281 · #3a2c16 · #170b00 · #f4b54c
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#d6d9b3 · #b9a281 · #1f7a93 · #744c4b · #273250 · #081412
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#eaf3ff · #b9a281 · #6292a7 · #504c7b · #002634 · #010007
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#e1f7f7 · #b9a281 · #5d9697 · #64466f · #2e1736 · #000202
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#e4f7ee · #b9a281 · #669682 · #37547c · #371328 · #000007
#C4AF92 · #CFBDA3 · #DACAB5 · #E5D8C6 · #F0E6D8
#998467 · #7A684D · #5C4C35 · #40321F · #251B0A
#B5A389 · #B1A491 · #ADA599
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.