#CFC9C7Warm Ashes (#CFC9C7) is a grey neutral with an OKLCH hue of 39°, lightness 0.84 and chroma 0.007. In practice it behaves as a mid-weight working color for secondary surfaces and editorial blocks.
| HEX | #CFC9C7 |
|---|---|
| RGB | rgb(207, 201, 199) |
| HSL | hsl(15, 8%, 80%) |
| HSV | hsv(15, 4%, 81%) |
| CMYK | cmyk(0%, 3%, 4%, 19%) |
| CIE Lab | lab(81.4 1.7 1.7) |
| OKLCH | oklch(0.840 0.007 39) |
Under warm 2700K interior light Warm Ashes shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity; in north-facing or shaded light it is virtually unchanged. Overall drift across common illuminants is small (max ΔE ≈ 2), so it is a lighting-stable choice.
#d7c4ba — ΔE 2.0, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast, gains intensity#d6cac3 — ΔE 1.2, shifts subtly: takes on a orange cast#cfc9c7 — ΔE 0.0, is virtually unchanged#cfcaca — ΔE 0.4, is virtually unchangedTest Warm 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 1.64:1 and against black 12.83:1, 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.
#f6f0ef · #cfc9c7 · #a6a19f · #807b7a · #5c5857 · #3a3736
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.
#fed5ba · #cfc9c7 · #e1a6a2 · #ca949d · #b18397 · #97738e
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.
#cfc9c7 · #b3ab91 · #af7f6f · #7f6d38 · #6f4739 · #40371e
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.
#fdeae4 · #cfc9c7 · #6fb3c8 · #9d7e74 · #7a5f56 · #55433d
The anchor as the only color in the room. True neutrals or complement-warmed near-neutrals let it stay dominant.
#cfc9c7 · #a7b0b2 · #827773 · #444a4c · #251b17 · #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.
#f3f1f0 · #cfc9c7 · #a3a09f · #312d2c · #0f0c0b · #ef6a3a
The same quiet ground carrying one bright gold voice — the high-energy pairing a cool or muted anchor cannot reach through its own temperature.
#f3f1f0 · #cfc9c7 · #a3a09f · #312d2c · #0f0c0b · #d8c64e
The opposite hue on the perceptual wheel, tempered to field strength — warm/cool tension without vibration.
#cfc9c7 · #9fb2b8 · #4f8292 · #005264 · #00222c · #0d0100
The complement's two neighbours instead of the complement itself — strong contrast with a lower clash risk.
#cfc9c7 · #9fb2b8 · #4d8581 · #264c70 · #002422 · #00020b
Three hues spaced evenly around the wheel; the anchor leads and the other two are held at supporting strength.
#cfc9c7 · #a3b3a9 · #5a856d · #414471 · #18193b · #000401
Two complementary pairs offset by 90° — the richest chord, kept usable by a strict lightness hierarchy.
#cfc9c7 · #a9b1a2 · #6e815b · #005264 · #261334 · #000408
#d7d2d0 · #dfdbda · #e7e4e3 · #efedec · #f7f6f6
#ada8a6 · #8a8685 · #686564 · #454342 · #232221
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.