#2E261F 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 #2E261F works with other colors. Named schemes with #2E261F in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.
Bistre is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Bistre.
Bistre plays the worn-leather lead, deepened by saddle brown and an oxblood anchor, softened by aged cream and cooled by a muted forest green.
Bistre 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.
Bistre 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.
Bistre 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 Bistre carrying the quiet middle.
How #2E261F 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 #2E261F at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.
:root {
--color-base: #2E261F;
--color-base-rgb: 46 38 31;
--color-base-oklch: oklch(27.5% 0.017 63.2);
--color-50: #F9F7F6;
--color-100: #EFEAE7;
--color-200: #DED6CE;
--color-300: #C4B7AB;
--color-400: #A99889;
--color-500: #8B796A;
--color-600: #6D6055;
--color-700: #4F4740;
--color-800: #35302C;
--color-900: #211E1C;
--color-on-base: #FFFFFF;
}
// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
bistre: {
50: '#F9F7F6',
100: '#EFEAE7',
200: '#DED6CE',
300: '#C4B7AB',
400: '#A99889',
500: '#8B796A',
600: '#6D6055',
700: '#4F4740',
800: '#35302C',
900: '#211E1C',
},
}
$base: #2E261F; $base-ink: #FFFFFF; $base-50: #F9F7F6; $base-100: #EFEAE7; $base-200: #DED6CE; $base-300: #C4B7AB; $base-400: #A99889; $base-500: #8B796A; $base-600: #6D6055; $base-700: #4F4740; $base-800: #35302C; $base-900: #211E1C; $base-hover: #241E19; $base-subtle: #C7BDB5;
{
"color": {
"base": {
"value": "#2E261F",
"type": "color"
},
"onBase": {
"value": "#FFFFFF",
"type": "color"
},
"scale": {
"50": {
"value": "#F9F7F6",
"type": "color"
},
"100": {
"value": "#EFEAE7",
"type": "color"
},
"200": {
"value": "#DED6CE",
"type": "color"
},
"300": {
"value": "#C4B7AB",
"type": "color"
},
"400": {
"value": "#A99889",
"type": "color"
},
"500": {
"value": "#8B796A",
"type": "color"
},
"600": {
"value": "#6D6055",
"type": "color"
},
"700": {
"value": "#4F4740",
"type": "color"
},
"800": {
"value": "#35302C",
"type": "color"
},
"900": {
"value": "#211E1C",
"type": "color"
}
}
}
}