What color is #BDB89C?

#BDB89C is a light, muted amber. In RGB it is rgb(189, 184, 156), and in HSL hsl(51, 20%, 68%).

Is #BDB89C accessible as text?

On white, #BDB89C has a contrast ratio of 2.00:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 10.50:1 (passes). For text placed on #BDB89C, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BDB89C?

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

What colors go well with #BDB89C?

#BDB89C pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #9DA2BE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BDB89C below.

Is #BDB89C good for buttons?

#BDB89C works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BDB89C — white text only reaches 2.00:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BDB89C the same as CSS tan?

No — #BDB89C 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.

#BDB89C Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BDB89C

Not just a swatch — here's how #BDB89C works with other colors. Named schemes with #BDB89C in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #BDB89C Secondary #B2680E Accent #6E7A48 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2A1F

This palette keeps Khaki 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 #BDB89C Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F Ink #2B2723

Khaki 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 #BDB89C Secondary #546A36 Accent #B2680E Surface #F0E9D6 Anchor #3D2E21

Khaki 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 #BDB89C Surface #DFCFA8 Secondary #AD7C51 Accent #909971 Anchor #3D2D1F

Khaki 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 #BDB89C Secondary #E6E5DB Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Khaki 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 Khaki carrying the quiet middle.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BDB89C 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 58/100

Neutral

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

Softness 74/100

High

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

Depth 21/100

Low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 46/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 45/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 27/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 15/100

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 67/100

High

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

Print safety 94/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #BDB89C

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BDB89C with

Pale Silver Laurel Green Cadet Grey Greige 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 9.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1F0EC for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #B8BE9D — 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 #BDB89C 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: #BDB89C;
  --color-base-rgb: 189 184 156;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(77.9% 0.039 98.9);
  --color-50: #F9F9F6;
  --color-100: #EFEEE6;
  --color-200: #DEDCCE;
  --color-300: #C5C1AB;
  --color-400: #AAA588;
  --color-500: #8C8769;
  --color-600: #6D6A54;
  --color-700: #4F4D3F;
  --color-800: #35342C;
  --color-900: #21201C;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  khaki: {
    50: '#F9F9F6',
    100: '#EFEEE6',
    200: '#DEDCCE',
    300: '#C5C1AB',
    400: '#AAA588',
    500: '#8C8769',
    600: '#6D6A54',
    700: '#4F4D3F',
    800: '#35342C',
    900: '#21201C',
  },
}

$base: #BDB89C;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F9F9F6;
$base-100: #EFEEE6;
$base-200: #DEDCCE;
$base-300: #C5C1AB;
$base-400: #AAA588;
$base-500: #8C8769;
$base-600: #6D6A54;
$base-700: #4F4D3F;
$base-800: #35342C;
$base-900: #21201C;
$base-hover: #A29B73;
$base-subtle: #EAE9E3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BDB89C",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F9F9F6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#EFEEE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#DEDCCE",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C5C1AB",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#AAA588",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#8C8769",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#6D6A54",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#4F4D3F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#35342C",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#21201C",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}