What color is #BFBE99?

#BFBE99 is a light, muted yellow. In RGB it is rgb(191, 190, 153), and in HSL hsl(58, 23%, 67%).

Is #BFBE99 accessible as text?

On white, #BFBE99 has a contrast ratio of 1.90:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 11.04:1 (passes). For text placed on #BFBE99, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #BFBE99?

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

What colors go well with #BFBE99?

#BFBE99 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #9799BE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #BFBE99 below.

Is #BFBE99 good for buttons?

#BFBE99 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #BFBE99 — white text only reaches 1.90:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #BFBE99 the same as CSS tan?

No — #BFBE99 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.

#BFBE99 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #BFBE99

Not just a swatch — here's how #BFBE99 works with other colors. Named schemes with #BFBE99 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #BFBE99 Secondary #B1690A Accent #6D7A48 Surface #F3ECDD 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 #BFBE99 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F 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 #BFBE99 Secondary #526A37 Accent #B1690A Surface #F0E9D6 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 #BFBE99 Surface #DFCFA8 Secondary #AD7C51 Accent #909A71 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 #BFBE99 Secondary #EAEADD 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.

Build a working theme in the generator →

Color Lab

How #BFBE99 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 73/100

High

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

Depth 20/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 48/100

Moderate

Loosely natural — an earthy edge without being rustic.

Vintage feel 46/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 26/100

Low

Understated — leans refined without going austere.

Brand distinctiveness 19/100

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 65/100

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 #BFBE99

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #BFBE99 with

Pale Silver Laurel Green Cool Gray 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 9.8:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F1F1EB for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #B3BE97 — 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 #BFBE99 at work across the surfaces designers actually ship.

Website / UI

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Build faster.

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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: #BFBE99;
  --color-base-rgb: 191 190 153;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(79.3% 0.050 106.2);
  --color-50: #F9F9F5;
  --color-100: #F0EFE6;
  --color-200: #E0DFCD;
  --color-300: #C6C5A9;
  --color-400: #ACAB86;
  --color-500: #8F8D66;
  --color-600: #6F6E53;
  --color-700: #51503E;
  --color-800: #36362B;
  --color-900: #22221B;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  laurel-green: {
    50: '#F9F9F5',
    100: '#F0EFE6',
    200: '#E0DFCD',
    300: '#C6C5A9',
    400: '#ACAB86',
    500: '#8F8D66',
    600: '#6F6E53',
    700: '#51503E',
    800: '#36362B',
    900: '#22221B',
  },
}

$base: #BFBE99;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #F9F9F5;
$base-100: #F0EFE6;
$base-200: #E0DFCD;
$base-300: #C6C5A9;
$base-400: #ACAB86;
$base-500: #8F8D66;
$base-600: #6F6E53;
$base-700: #51503E;
$base-800: #36362B;
$base-900: #22221B;
$base-hover: #A4A26D;
$base-subtle: #EAEAE1;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#BFBE99",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#F9F9F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F0EFE6",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E0DFCD",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#C6C5A9",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#ACAB86",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#8F8D66",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#6F6E53",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#51503E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#36362B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#22221B",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}