What color is #BCBE9B?

#BCBE9B is a light, muted yellow. In RGB it is rgb(188, 190, 155), and in HSL hsl(63, 21%, 68%).

Is #BCBE9B accessible as text?

On white, #BCBE9B has a contrast ratio of 1.91:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.98:1 (passes). For text placed on #BCBE9B, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BCBE9B?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is olive-400 (#ABAB9C).

What colors go well with #BCBE9B?

#BCBE9B pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #9E9CBF. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BCBE9B below.

Is #BCBE9B good for buttons?

#BCBE9B works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BCBE9B — white text only reaches 1.91:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BCBE9B the same as CSS tan?

No — #BCBE9B is not the CSS named color tan, but tan (#D2B48C) is the closest CSS named color by perceptual color distance — it sits in a different color family, so treat it as a rough reference, not a match.

#BCBE9B Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BCBE9B

Not just a swatch — here's how #BCBE9B works with other colors. Named schemes with #BCBE9B in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #BCBE9B Secondary #B16908 Accent #6D7A49 Surface #F2ECDD Anchor #3A2B1F

This palette keeps Laurel Green as the dominant warm neutral, balanced by muted terracotta and olive earth tones and grounded by a deep espresso anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #BCBE9B Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8B09F Ink #2B2723

Laurel Green 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.

Botanical Studio Lead · 5 colors

Lead #BCBE9B Secondary #526A37 Accent #B16908 Surface #EFE9D6 Anchor #3D2F21

Laurel Green leads this botanical set among foliage greens and a terracotta accent, softened by cream and grounded in bark brown.

Desert Clay Center · 5 colors

Center #BCBE9B Surface #DFD0A8 Secondary #AD7C50 Accent #8F9A71 Anchor #3D2D1F

Laurel Green holds the warm center of this desert palette with sand and clay beside it, a muted-sage accent and a dark-brown anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F7F4EF Accent #BCBE9B Secondary #E8E9DD Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Laurel Green 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 Laurel Green carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #BCBE9B 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.

Warmth 57/100

Neutral

Balanced temperature — flexible, sits between warm and cool schemes.

Softness 73/100

High

Soft and easy on the eye — gentle backdrops, calm surfaces.

Depth 20/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 47/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 45/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 26/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 18/100

Very low

Quiet and neutral — a supporting tone, not a signature.

UI accent fit 22/100

Low

Weak as an action color — too pale, too dark or too muted to signal.

Surface fit 66/100

High

Calm enough for large fills — backgrounds, cards, sections.

Print safety 91/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BCBE9B

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BCBE9B with

Pale Silver Laurel Green Cadet Grey Platinum Army Green

UI roles & guardrails

Primary action Safe as a filled button with near-black label. AAA

Body text Do not use for body copy on light surfaces. Avoid

Large display Only on dark surfaces. Avoid

Background Pair with #141310 text at 9.7:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1F1EC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #B1BF9C — the hue gap is too small to read as intentional. Clash

In real applications

Not a swatch to memorise — a color to build with. Here is #BCBE9B at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Dashboard

Revenue

$48.2k ▲ 12%

Brand

AVELINE

Studio

Poster

Nov 14 · 8PM

NIGHT
MARKET

Packaging

BLOOM

Botanical Wash

250 ml

Interior

Every model

Export

:root {
  --color-base: #BCBE9B;
  --color-base-rgb: 188 190 155;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.1% 0.048 110.1);
  --color-50: #F9F9F6;
  --color-100: #EFEFE6;
  --color-200: #DEDFCE;
  --color-300: #C4C5AA;
  --color-400: #A9AA88;
  --color-500: #8B8D68;
  --color-600: #6D6E54;
  --color-700: #4F503F;
  --color-800: #35352B;
  --color-900: #21211C;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  laurel-green: {
    50: '#F9F9F6',
    100: '#EFEFE6',
    200: '#DEDFCE',
    300: '#C4C5AA',
    400: '#A9AA88',
    500: '#8B8D68',
    600: '#6D6E54',
    700: '#4F503F',
    800: '#35352B',
    900: '#21211C',
  },
}

$base: #BCBE9B;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F9F9F6;
$base-100: #EFEFE6;
$base-200: #DEDFCE;
$base-300: #C4C5AA;
$base-400: #A9AA88;
$base-500: #8B8D68;
$base-600: #6D6E54;
$base-700: #4F503F;
$base-800: #35352B;
$base-900: #21211C;
$base-hover: #A1A372;
$base-subtle: #EAEAE3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BCBE9B",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F9F9F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EFEFE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#DEDFCE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C4C5AA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#A9AA88",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#8B8D68",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#6D6E54",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#4F503F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#35352B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#21211C",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}