YELLOWS
Shale
#C3BDB1
Shale is #C3BDB1 in HEX — rgb(195, 189, 177), hsl(40°, 13%, 73%), cmyk(0%, 3%, 9%, 24%).
Shale pulls into the light end of the yellows spectrum — HSL 40°, 13%, 73%. The neutral saturation makes it near-neutral and forgiving, and the hue reads warm. In interior projects it shines on kitchens, breakfast nooks, kids' rooms, accent walls — bringing sunlight indoors. Reads best alongside white trim, natural linen, light oak, brushed brass.
Color Codes
Paint Matches — this color across 16 brands
Light Reflectance & Undertone
Light Reflectance Value (LRV)
51/100
Light
Reflects plenty of light and keeps spaces feeling open and airy while still showing clear colour. A safe, flexible choice for living areas.
Undertone
Reads as a warm orange with a yellow undertone showing through, especially in daylight. Pair trim and adjacent colours to either calm or amplify that undertone.
Color Theory
Complementary
Analogous
Triadic
Split-Complementary
Tetradic
Monochromatic
Rectangle
Compound
Shades & Tints
Shades and tints of Shale run from a pale tint down to a deep shade — same hue and saturation, lightness stepped. Each rung below shows its exact HEX code; tap any to copy it.
Variations
Lighter
Darker
Saturation
Interior Use
Best Rooms
kitchens, breakfast nooks, kids' rooms
Best Uses
accent walls, ceilings, cabinetry highlights
Pairs With
white trim, natural linen, light oak, brushed brass
Accessibility (WCAG)
Deuteranopia
Protanopia
Tritanopia
Color Psychology
Bright · Optimistic
Shale brings light into spaces that lack it — kitchens, breakfast nooks, kids' rooms wake up under it. The trick with yellow is restraint: lean toward the muted/buttery end if you want it on walls; reserve high-chroma versions for accents and trim.
How it looks under different light
Pairs With
Paint Info
Brand · Product Line
Benjamin Moore / Regal Select Interior
Recommended Finishes
Eggshell (walls) · Pearl (trim) · Matte (ceiling)
Eggshell hides imperfections on main walls while keeping the color rich; pearl on trim adds subtle sheen and easier cleaning; flat matte on ceilings prevents glare.
Best Surfaces
Primary walls · Cabinetry · Trim · Soft furniture
Coverage & Dry Time
Typical coverage 350-400 sq ft per gallon over a primed surface.
Touch-dry in ~1 hour. Recoat after 4 hours. Full cure 7-14 days.
Primer
Standard primer is adequate.
Application Tip
Use a 9" microfiber roller on walls and a 2.5" angled sash brush for trim cuts. Two coats minimum for even depth.
Paint Calculator
You'll need
4.0 litres
1.06 US gallons · room for one touch-up coat. Buy slightly more to ensure single-batch match.
Code Snippets
color: #C3BDB1;background-color: #C3BDB1;--color-shale: #C3BDB1;colors: { 'shale': '#C3BDB1' }bg-[#C3BDB1] text-[#C3BDB1]$shale: #C3BDB1;Similar Colors
Our color tools run on our own catalogue of 26,000+ real paint colors across 16 brands — Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, Behr, Dulux, RAL and more — with the color math (HSL and CIELAB matching) computed in-house, not scraped from summaries. Every color you pick maps to a real, buyable paint with its code, so what you see here you can actually take to the store. We review and update these tools and their data regularly.
Created by Denis Kataev, founder of DSGN.HOUSE — a software engineer and digital entrepreneur building professional color-design tools for everyone.
Frequently Asked Questions
What color is #C3BDB1?
#C3BDB1 is Shale, a soft yellow with a warm undertone.
Is #C3BDB1 warm or cool?
Shale reads warm, which influences how it interacts with surrounding tones and natural light.
What rooms work best with Shale?
Shale works well in kitchens, breakfast nooks, kids' rooms. Designers typically use it for accent walls, ceilings, cabinetry highlights.
What colors pair well with Shale?
Shale pairs naturally with white trim, natural linen, light oak, brushed brass. Its complementary color is also a strong contrast option for accents.
Where can I download Shale?
You can download Shale on DSGN.HOUSE in 15 designer formats including CSS gradient, Figma, Procreate swatches, Tailwind config, Adobe ASE, SVG, and 4K wallpapers — all free.
What's the hex code for Shale?
The hex code is #C3BDB1. In RGB it's 195, 189, 177, and in HSL it's 40°, 13%, 73%.