Paper Ash Alcove
Paper Ash Alcove: a soft neutral tetradic palette of #B09A99, #B0B899, #AFD0D6, #DEDAE7, #FEF0E1. Pure, minimal and calm; best contrast 2.36:1.
A balanced palette of 5 colors drawing on gray, beige, white, with a tight lightness range that stays soft and cohesive. Its lightest and darkest colors reach a contrast of 2.36:1, better for large type and decoration. Open any color for its conversions, shades, harmonies and contrast.
Colors
- ≈ Sphinx#B09A99
A light, neutral gray (Sphinx) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Green Tea#B0B899
A light, muted yellow (Green Tea) that brings light and cheer. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Clear Water#AFD0D6
A light, muted teal (Clear Water) that brings a cool, trustworthy tone. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Zen#DEDAE7
A very light, neutral gray (Zen) that brings neutral balance. Dark text reads well on it.
- ≈ Blank Canvas#FEF0E1
A very light, neutral beige (Blank Canvas) that brings soft, quiet warmth. Dark text reads well on it.
Tags
Psychology
Meaning
Applications
Similar palettes
Accessibility
- On white2.64:1Poor 1/5
- On black18.76:1Excellent 5/5
- Color blind friendly97% similarExcellent 5/5
Contrast is the best any color in the palette reaches on a plain white or black background. Color blind friendly shows how much of the difference between the colors is kept under the common kinds of color blindness.
| Color | Role | HEX | Lightness |
|---|---|---|---|
| ≈ Taupe | Text | #B09A99 | 71% |
| ≈ Ash | Primary | #B0B899 | 77% |
| ≈ Powder Blue | Surface | #AFD0D6 | 84% |
| ≈ Fog | Accent | #DEDAE7 | 90% |
| ≈ Ivory | Background | #FEF0E1 | 96% |
No palette color is readable as text on the background, so use #261615 for text.
:root {
--color-background: #fef0e1;
--color-surface: #afd0d6;
--color-primary: #b0b899;
--color-accent: #dedae7;
--color-text: #261615;
}
@theme {
--color-background: #fef0e1;
--color-surface: #afd0d6;
--color-primary: #b0b899;
--color-accent: #dedae7;
--color-ink: #261615;
}
About this palette
Paper Ash Alcove is palette number 8,334 of Tintly's fifteen million generated palettes. It is a soft neutral palette built on a tetradic scheme, and it is anchored by Ash (#B0B899), the most saturated of its five colors.
The palette reads as pure, minimal and calm. Its colors run from Ivory (#FEF0E1) at the light end to Taupe (#B09A99) at the dark end, covering 71% to 96% perceptual lightness, so it has real range rather than five similar tones.
The five colors
1. ≈ Taupe #B09A99: suggested role text. It is a near-neutral color with 71% lightness and a chroma of 0.026, so it behaves like a neutral.
2. ≈ Ash #B0B899: suggested role primary. It is a green color with 77% lightness and a chroma of 0.044.
3. ≈ Powder Blue #AFD0D6: suggested role surface. It is a cyan color with 84% lightness and a chroma of 0.036.
4. ≈ Fog #DEDAE7: suggested role accent. It is a near-neutral color with 90% lightness and a chroma of 0.018, so it behaves like a neutral.
5. ≈ Ivory #FEF0E1: suggested role background. It is a near-neutral color with 96% lightness and a chroma of 0.025, so it behaves like a neutral.
Harmony and structure
Four hues are spaced around the wheel in two complementary pairs. It is the richest scheme, and the hardest to balance.
In this palette the hues fall in the green and cyan families, spread across 91 degrees of the OKLCH hue circle. Soft neutral palettes keep chroma between 0.01 and 0.05, and lightness between 72% and 96%, which is why the set feels consistent.
Temperature and mood
Overall the palette is temperature-neutral: 0 of its 2 chromatic colors lean warm and 1 lean cool. Its average chroma of 0.03 makes the saturation soft.
That combination suits minimal websites, fashion lookbooks and stationery, and it is a good fit when you want a design to feel pure, minimal and calm.
Accessibility and contrast
The strongest pairing is Taupe (#B09A99) with Ivory (#FEF0E1) at a contrast ratio of 2.36:1, which is below the WCAG AA minimum of 4.5:1. Across all 10 possible pairs, 0 reach the 4.5:1 AA level for normal text and 0 more reach 3:1 for large text.
No other palette color reaches 4.5:1 on the background (#FEF0E1), so this page suggests #261615 for text, a darkened Taupe that reaches 15.53:1. Check any pair you use in the contrast checker.
Under protanopia (reduced red sensitivity), #AFD0D6 and #DEDAE7 may look alike, so avoid using that difference alone to carry meaning.
How to use it
Suggested roles: #FEF0E1 as the background, #AFD0D6 for cards and surfaces, #B0B899 as the primary brand color, #DEDAE7 as the accent, and #261615 for text (a computed darker shade of Taupe, because no palette color is readable on that background). A reliable starting split is 60% background and surface, 30% primary and 10% accent.
Let one hue take most of the space and use the others sparingly. Control the mood with lightness and saturation rather than hue.
Typical uses for a soft neutral palette include minimal websites, fashion lookbooks, stationery and note-taking and documentation apps. Open it in the generator to lock the colors you love and reroll the rest, or in the visualizer to see it on real layouts.
More palettes like this
Frequently asked questions
Is Paper Ash Alcove accessible?
Its best pair reaches 2.36:1 (#B09A99 on #FEF0E1). 0 of 10 pairs reach WCAG AA for normal text. Always check the exact text and background you use.
Which color should be the main brand color?
Ash (#B0B899) is the most saturated color that is neither the lightest nor the darkest, which makes it the natural primary.
What is this palette good for?
It suits minimal websites, fashion lookbooks, stationery and note-taking and documentation apps, where a pure, minimal and calm feel works well.