What color is #CEC9A1?

#CEC9A1 is a light, muted yellow. In RGB it is rgb(206, 201, 161), and in HSL hsl(53, 31%, 72%).

Is #CEC9A1 accessible as text?

On white, #CEC9A1 has a contrast ratio of 1.68:1 (fails WCAG AA for body text); on black it is 12.49:1 (passes). For text placed on #CEC9A1, use black for the best readability.

What is the closest Tailwind color to #CEC9A1?

The nearest Tailwind CSS token is taupe-300 (#D8D2D0).

What colors go well with #CEC9A1?

#CEC9A1 pairs cleanly with neutrals — cream, taupe, charcoal and cool grays — and with its complementary #A1A7CE. In UI, a softer accent is often easier to use than the exact complement. Explore the harmonies, shades, tints and ready-made palettes for #CEC9A1 below.

Is #CEC9A1 good for buttons?

#CEC9A1 works well for buttons and highlights, but use black text on #CEC9A1 — white text only reaches 1.68:1, below the 4.5:1 needed for normal-size labels.

Is #CEC9A1 the same as CSS burlywood?

No — #CEC9A1 is not the CSS named color burlywood, but burlywood (#DEB887) 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.

#CEC9A1 Color — HEX, RGB, HSL, Palette & Shades

Palettes built on #CEC9A1

Not just a swatch — here's how #CEC9A1 works with other colors. Named schemes with #CEC9A1 in its natural role, and a note on why the supporting colors balance it.

Warm Autumn Interior Dominant · 5 colors

Dominant #CEC9A1 Secondary #B1680C Accent #6E7A48 Surface #F3ECDD Anchor #3A2B1F

This palette keeps Soft Sage 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 #CEC9A1 Surface #EFE9DC Highlight #F6F1E7 Secondary #B8AF9F Ink #2B2723

Soft Sage 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 #CEC9A1 Secondary #536A36 Accent #B1680C Surface #F0E9D6 Anchor #3D2E21

Soft Sage 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 #CEC9A1 Surface #DFCFA8 Secondary #AD7C51 Accent #909971 Anchor #3D2D1F

Soft Sage 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 #CEC9A1 Secondary #F7F6E8 Support #999186 Ink #17140F

Soft Sage 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 Soft Sage carrying the quiet middle.

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Color Lab

How #CEC9A1 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 60/100

Neutral

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

Softness 75/100

High

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

Depth 16/100

Very low

Airy and open — recedes, leaves the composition light.

Naturalness 57/100

Moderate

Organic, earthy character — at home in wellness, food and craft brands.

Vintage feel 43/100

Moderate

A faint retro warmth without tipping into sepia.

Luxury 23/100

Low

Playful and accessible rather than exclusive.

Brand distinctiveness 21/100

Low

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

UI accent fit 16/100

Very 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 91/100

Very high

Reproduces faithfully in CMYK — safe for packaging and print.

Pairs with #CEC9A1

For UI

For branding

For interior

For fashion

People also use #CEC9A1 with

Pastel Gray Soft Sage 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 11.1:1. Use

Subtle surface Use #F4F3EE for cards and hover fills. Tint 80

Avoid beside #C4CEA1 — 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 #CEC9A1 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: #CEC9A1;
  --color-base-rgb: 206 201 161;
  --color-base-oklch: oklch(83.0% 0.054 101.6);
  --color-50: #FAF9F5;
  --color-100: #F1F0E4;
  --color-200: #E3E0CA;
  --color-300: #CCC7A4;
  --color-400: #B3AD7F;
  --color-500: #968F5F;
  --color-600: #74704E;
  --color-700: #54513B;
  --color-800: #383629;
  --color-900: #23221A;
  --color-on-base: #141310;
}

// tailwind.config.js
colors: {
  soft-sage: {
    50: '#FAF9F5',
    100: '#F1F0E4',
    200: '#E3E0CA',
    300: '#CCC7A4',
    400: '#B3AD7F',
    500: '#968F5F',
    600: '#74704E',
    700: '#54513B',
    800: '#383629',
    900: '#23221A',
  },
}

$base: #CEC9A1;
$base-ink: #141310;
$base-50: #FAF9F5;
$base-100: #F1F0E4;
$base-200: #E3E0CA;
$base-300: #CCC7A4;
$base-400: #B3AD7F;
$base-500: #968F5F;
$base-600: #74704E;
$base-700: #54513B;
$base-800: #383629;
$base-900: #23221A;
$base-hover: #B4AD71;
$base-subtle: #EFEDE5;

{
    "color": {
        "base": {
            "value": "#CEC9A1",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "onBase": {
            "value": "#141310",
            "type": "color"
        },
        "scale": {
            "50": {
                "value": "#FAF9F5",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "100": {
                "value": "#F1F0E4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "200": {
                "value": "#E3E0CA",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "300": {
                "value": "#CCC7A4",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "400": {
                "value": "#B3AD7F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "500": {
                "value": "#968F5F",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "600": {
                "value": "#74704E",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "700": {
                "value": "#54513B",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "800": {
                "value": "#383629",
                "type": "color"
            },
            "900": {
                "value": "#23221A",
                "type": "color"
            }
        }
    }
}