#231E1A is a near-black neutral with only a whisper of temperate cast. On the Color Lab it reads quietly premium, restrained and easy to live with. It holds up as a large surface and is too dark to lead as a primary accent.
Not just a swatch — here's how #231E1A works with other colors. Named schemes with #231E1A in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.
Graphite is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Graphite.
Graphite plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.
Graphite sets a calm, sun-bleached base here, wrapped in bone and paper off-whites and a soft greige, with a single ink accent for wabi-sabi restraint.
Graphite carries the depth in this luxury scheme, offset by a brass accent and near-black and held together by a deep neutral and an off-white surface.
Graphite is the single accent in this high-contrast editorial system — set on near-white paper against near-black ink, with a warm grey and a desaturated tint of Graphite carrying the quiet middle.
How #231E1A actually behaves in design work — read from its OKLCH lightness, chroma and hue, not just its raw numbers. Ten signals to help you decide where this color earns its place.
Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #231E1A at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #231E1A;
--color-base-rgb: 35 30 26;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(23.9% 0.011 60.9);
--color-50: #F9F7F6;
--color-100: #EEEAE7;
--color-200: #DCD6D0;
--color-300: #C1B7AE;
--color-400: #A5988D;
--color-500: #88796D;
--color-600: #6A6058;
--color-700: #4D4741;
--color-800: #34302D;
--color-900: #211E1D;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
graphite: {
50: '#F9F7F6',
100: '#EEEAE7',
200: '#DCD6D0',
300: '#C1B7AE',
400: '#A5988D',
500: '#88796D',
600: '#6A6058',
700: '#4D4741',
800: '#34302D',
900: '#211E1D',
},
}
$base: #231E1A; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F9F7F6; $base-100: #EEEAE7; $base-200: #DCD6D0; $base-300: #C1B7AE; $base-400: #A5988D; $base-500: #88796D; $base-600: #6A6058; $base-700: #4D4741; $base-800: #34302D; $base-900: #211E1D; $base-hover: #1C1815; $base-subtle: #C3BBB4;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#231E1A",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F9F7F6",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#EEEAE7",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#DCD6D0",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#C1B7AE",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#A5988D",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#88796D",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#6A6058",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#4D4741",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#34302D",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#211E1D",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}