Paint colors · Benjamin Moore, as published by the brand

Pale Oak OC-20 (#DDD9CE): hex, LRV and undertone

Pale Oak OC-20 is a Benjamin Moore paint, hex #DDD9CE, LRV 68.64. It measures as a warm neutral with a yellow undertone (OKLCH hue 90°).

By Paul Gunder. Every value is computed from published standards; see how ColorPlum works.

Updated November 11, 2026

Benjamin MoorePale OakOC-20

Hex: #DDD9CE
RGB: 221, 217, 206
LRV: 68.64
Undertone: Warm neutral, yellow undertone

LRV 68.64. Light: a light wall color that still reads as a color.

A neutral with a yellow cast (OKLCH hue 90°, chroma 0.015). Expect the yellow to show more in warm evening light and next to cooler whites.

Coordinating colors Benjamin Moore suggests

Chantilly LaceOC-65
Gray Cardigan1600
Dinner PartyAF-300
Wrought Iron2124-10

Closest colors from other brands

ΔE is the CIEDE2000 difference between the published values: under 2 is hard to tell apart on a wall, 2 to 5 is a visible but related shade. Always compare real chips before you buy.

Name, code, LRV and color value as published by Benjamin Moore on its color page (checked 2026-11-11). A screen can only approximate paint: sheen, lighting and the screen itself all change it, so check a physical sample. ColorPlum is not affiliated with Benjamin Moore.

ColorPlum swatchPale Oakpale, grayish orange

HEX: #DDD9CE
RGB: rgb(221, 217, 206)
HSL: hsl(44, 18%, 84%)

Best text on it: black at 14.89:1

Build a palette Make a gradient Check contrast Wallpaper

Pale Oak#DDD9CE

Every code for Pale Oak

HEX#DDD9CE
RGBrgb(221, 217, 206)
HSLhsl(44, 18%, 84%)
HSV44°, 7%, 87%
CMYK0%, 2%, 7%, 13%
Lablab(86.8% 0 5.9)
OKLCHoklch(88.5% 0.015 90.2)
Decimal14539214

Tints, shades and tones

From white to black in 10% steps, with Pale Oak in the middle. Tap a code to copy it.

90%#FCFBFA
80%#F8F7F5
70%#F5F4F0
60%#F1F0EB
50%#EEECE7
40%#EBE8E2
30%#E7E4DD
20%#E4E1D8
10%#E0DDD3
Base#DDD9CE
10%#C7C3B9
20%#B1AEA5
30%#9B9890
40%#85827C
50%#6F6D67
60%#585752
70%#42413E
80%#2C2B29
90%#161615

Tones (mixed with gray)

10%#D4D0C6
20%#CAC7BE
30%#C1BEB7
40%#B8B5AF
50%#AFADA7
60%#A5A49F
70%#9C9B97
80%#939290
90%#898988

Matching colors

Complementary

#DDD9CE
#CED2DD

Analogous

#DDD2CE
#DDD9CE
#DADDCE

Triadic

#DDD9CE
#CEDDD9
#D9CEDD

Split complementary

#DDD9CE
#CEDADD
#D2CEDD

Tetradic (square)

#DDD9CE
#CEDDD2
#CED2DD
#DDCEDA

Monochromatic

#9E9374
#BEB6A1
#DDD9CE
#F7F6F3
#F7F6F3

Pale Oak in 3D color space

OKLab, the space ColorPlum does its math in: lightness runs up the pole, hue goes around it and saturation grows outward. The faint shell is every color a screen can show (saturation is drawn wider than lightness so hues separate). Drag to turn it.

Pale Oak with its complement, its triad and its tint and shade

Pale Oak
Triad #CEDDD9
Triad #D9CEDD
Complement
50% tint
50% shade

Pale Oak in use

New collectionAutumn edit

Card body text stays dark for reading; pale oak carries the header and the button.

Shop nowTag

Headline in Pale Oak

A paragraph with a link in dark text, because this color is too light for text on white; use it for fills instead.

How it looks with color-vision deficiency

A simulation (Machado and colleagues, 2009) of how the color and its complement read without one type of cone.

Typical color vision#DDD9CE
Protanopia (no red cones)#DCD8CD
Deuteranopia (no green cones)#DDDACE
Tritanopia (no blue cones)#E0D7D6

Contrast and readability

Pairing	Ratio	WCAG 2.2
as text on white	1.41:1	AA AA large AAA
as text on black	14.89:1	AA AA large AAA
white text on it	1.41:1	AA AA large AAA
black text on it	14.89:1	AA AA large AAA
on your background	1.23:1	AA AA large AAA

Try a background

Export

:root {
  --pale-oak: #ddd9ce;
  --pale-oak-rgb: 221 217 206;
  --pale-oak-on: #000000;
}

On this page

Pale Oak is OC-20 in Benjamin Moore's Off White Collection, with a hex of #DDD9CE. It is a pale greige: a light wall color with a trace of warmth that does not read as pink or tan.

Breaking down the values

The RGB values are 221, 217, 206 and the HSL is hsl(44, 18%, 84%). In OKLCH, Pale Oak is oklch(88.5% 0.015 90.2). The chroma of 0.015 is quite low, and the 90° hue gives the warm-neutral, yellow-undertone label. Compared with Edgecomb Gray, it has the same family feel with a tick more lightness.

An LRV of 68.64 puts it in the light band: a wall color that still reads as a color. It will brighten a space without turning white.

Coordinating list

Benjamin Moore pairs it with Chantilly Lace OC-65, Gray Cardigan 1600, Dinner Party AF-300 and Wrought Iron 2124-10. Chantilly Lace is the only one with a page here; against Pale Oak the contrast is 1.29:1, a faint, soft separation good for trim. The other three are listed by name and code only.

Matches nearby

Brand-mates by ΔE: Classic Gray OC-23 at 1.8, Edgecomb Gray HC-173 at 2.2 and Swiss Coffee OC-45 at 4.2. Classic Gray is under 2, so the two may be difficult to distinguish on a finished wall.

Sherwin-Williams offers Agreeable Gray SW 7029 at 3.4, Alabaster SW 7008 at 3.8 and Repose Gray SW 7015 at 3.9. They fall into the visible-but-related range. Compare real samples side by side for that final decision.

Worked example

A bedroom with a single east window and a dark walnut bed frame is the setting. Pale Oak at LRV 68.64 gives you a backdrop that lets the wood stand out, where a brighter white would make the frame look heavy and a deeper greige would mute it.

For the trim and door, take Chantilly Lace from the brand's list; the 1.29:1 contrast keeps the edge gentle. Wrought Iron 2124-10 is also on the list, though it has no page here to check.

Your choice with Classic Gray is the real fork. At ΔE 1.8 the two are nearly twins, so pick whichever sample feels better when you are actually in the room, whether that is waking at seven or reading at night.

Reading on screen

Black text on #DDD9CE gets 14.89:1; white gets just 1.41:1. Dark lettering is the sound choice. Convert the hex to other formats in the color converter.