What color is #BDBFDA?

#BDBFDA is a light, muted blue-violet. In RGB it is rgb(189, 191, 218), and in HSL hsl(236, 28%, 80%).

Is #BDBFDA accessible as text?

On white, #BDBFDA has a contrast ratio of 1.81:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.63:1 (passes). For text placed on #BDBFDA, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BDBFDA?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is mauve-300 (#D7D0D7).

What colors go well with #BDBFDA?

#BDBFDA pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #DAD8BE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BDBFDA below.

Is #BDBFDA good for buttons?

#BDBFDA works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BDBFDA — white text only reaches 1.81:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BDBFDA the same as CSS lightsteelblue?

No — #BDBFDA is not the CSS named color lightsteelblue, but lightsteelblue (#B0C4DE) is the closest CSS named color.

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

Palettes built on #BDBFDA

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

Nordic Calm Accent · 5 colors

Accent #BDBFDA Secondary #AEB4B8 Surface #F1F2F0 Support #7E92A7 Anchor #2E3236

Light Steel Blue keeps this Nordic scheme quiet — cool greys and a soft white around it, a muted-blue support and a charcoal anchor.

Japanese Sand Base · 5 colors

Base #BDBFDA Surface #F2E8DD Highlight #F8F0E7 Secondary #BEADA2 Ink #2C2724

Light Steel Blue 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.

Coastal Morning Lead · 5 colors

Lead #BDBFDA Accent #A5C4C3 Surface #EAD5BF Secondary #9AA0A1 Anchor #22334A

Light Steel Blue opens this coastal palette with sea-glass and warm sand alongside it, grounded by driftwood grey and a deep-navy anchor.

Minimal Editorial Surface · 5 colors

Surface #F8F4EF Accent #BDBFDA Secondary #EDEEF8 Support #9D9088 Ink #18140F

Light Steel Blue 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 Light Steel Blue carrying the quiet middle.

Tech Product Signal · 5 colors

Signal #BDBFDA Surface #14161A Highlight #F4F6F8 Secondary #5B6672 Accent #E4E6FF

Light Steel Blue is the vivid signal in this product UI — on a near-black surface with cool white, a slate grey and a lighter tint of Light Steel Blue.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BDBFDA 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 43/100

Neutral

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

Softness 77/100

High

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

Depth 18/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 0/100

Very low

Reads engineered rather than organic — synthetic, digital.

Vintage feel 30/100

Low

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 24/100

Low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 15/100

Very low

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

UI accent fit 17/100

Very low

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

Surface fit 71/100

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 #BDBFDA

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BDBFDA with

Gainsboro Thistle Bone Prussian Blue

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 10.3:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F3F3F7 for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C5BEDA — 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 #BDBFDA at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

A working theme, generated in seconds.

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: #BDBFDA;
  --color-base-rgb: 189 191 218;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(81.2% 0.038 282.2);
  --color-50: #F5F5FA;
  --color-100: #E5E5F1;
  --color-200: #CBCCE2;
  --color-300: #A6A8CA;
  --color-400: #8285B0;
  --color-500: #626593;
  --color-600: #4F5272;
  --color-700: #3C3E53;
  --color-800: #2A2B37;
  --color-900: #1B1B22;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  light-steel-blue: {
    50: '#F5F5FA',
    100: '#E5E5F1',
    200: '#CBCCE2',
    300: '#A6A8CA',
    400: '#8285B0',
    500: '#626593',
    600: '#4F5272',
    700: '#3C3E53',
    800: '#2A2B37',
    900: '#1B1B22',
  },
}

$base: #BDBFDA;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F5F5FA;
$base-100: #E5E5F1;
$base-200: #CBCCE2;
$base-300: #A6A8CA;
$base-400: #8285B0;
$base-500: #626593;
$base-600: #4F5272;
$base-700: #3C3E53;
$base-800: #2A2B37;
$base-900: #1B1B22;
$base-hover: #898DBD;
$base-subtle: #ECEDF3;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BDBFDA",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F5F5FA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#E5E5F1",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#CBCCE2",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#A6A8CA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#8285B0",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#626593",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#4F5272",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#3C3E53",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#2A2B37",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#1B1B22",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}

Palettes built on #BDBFDA

Color Lab

Pairs with #BDBFDA

UI roles & guardrails

In real applications

Scales

Every model

Export