Colors that go with Universal Khaki for cabinets
Universal Khaki · #CBBBA1
Universal Khaki (#CBBBA1) — warm tan neutral — Sherwin-Williams's 2026 colour of the year, SW 6150 (swatch is an honest sRGB approximation — the official code is authoritative) — pairs best with muted red, terracotta & clay, teal, and green. With cabinets, match it to muted red, drawn from 8 historically-grounded combinations below.
Cabinet color is a long commitment — the partners that age well are warm neutrals and one quiet accent for hardware or tile.
About universal khaki
Universal Khaki is warm tan neutral — Sherwin-Williams's 2026 colour of the year, SW 6150 (swatch is an honest sRGB approximation — the official code is authoritative) — a gently muted, warm colour that reads as light and airy. As a warm tone it looks most resolved next to cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth, and it needs deeper shades nearby for the value contrast the eye reads as finished. That balance is what makes it feel earthy in cabinets.
- HEX
- #CBBBA1
- RGB
- 203, 187, 161
- HSL
- 37°, 29%, 71%
- CMYK
- 0, 8, 21, 20
Accessibility: put dark text on universal khaki for AAA legibility (contrast 9.3:1 against near-black).
Why universal khaki pairs with muted red, terracotta & clay, teal, and green
Across the 8 historical combinations below, universal khaki sits most often beside muted red, terracotta & clay, teal, and green. That tracks with colour theory: a warm, light tone like this one wants cool and neutral partners that temper its warmth so the scheme feels intentional rather than flat, and deeper partners supply the light-to-dark range the eye needs. Cabinet color is a long commitment — the partners that age well are warm neutrals and one quiet accent for hardware or tile.
- muted red
- terracotta & clay
- teal
- green
Using universal khaki in cabinets
With cabinets, match it to muted red and terracotta & clay. Because universal khaki is light and airy, it can cover larger surfaces, with green added for depth.
8 combinations with universal khaki, from the 1933 Dictionary
Eosine Pink & Raw Sienna +2
Plate 327 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Eosine Pink, Raw Sienna, Ecru, Grayish Lavender - B.
#c2ae93 #f37f94 #bb7125 #c0a9b3
Fawn & Scarlet +2
Plate 308 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Fawn, Scarlet, English Red, Cobalt Green.
#d1b0a7 #cb2f43 #d96629 #96d1aa
Corinthian Pink & Grayish Lavender - B +1
Plate 174 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Corinthian Pink, Grayish Lavender - B, Taupe Brown.
#c0a9b3 #f8b6ba #7a4456
Pinkish Cinnamon & Olive Buff +1
Plate 175 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Pinkish Cinnamon, Olive Buff, Blue Violet.
#c1c494 #eeb480 #6450a1
Carmine Red & Olive Buff +1
Plate 200 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Carmine Red, Olive Buff, Chromium Green.
#c1c494 #a62c37 #719470
Ecru & Pale King's Blue +1
Plate 167 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Ecru, Pale King's Blue, Vandar Poel's Blue.
#c2ae93 #a7d4e4 #064f6e
Raw Sienna & Vinaceous Cinnamon +2
Plate 279 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Raw Sienna, Vinaceous Cinnamon, Ecru, Dark Tyrian Blue.
#c2ae93 #bb7125 #eea78c #12354e
Cream Yellow & Ecru +2
Plate 302 from Sanzo Wada's 1933 Dictionary of Color Combinations — Cream Yellow, Ecru, Nile Blue, Antwarp Blue.
#c2ae93 #fdbf68 #bce4e5 #007190
Universal Khaki in other settings
Other colors
Studio
Work with this pairing
You have the hex codes for Universal Khaki for cabinets. These are the materials a colour study like this actually gets made with.
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Pantone
Color Bridge Guide — coated
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Calibrite
ColorChecker Studio spectrophotometer
A spectrophotometer profiles the whole chain — display, printer, projector, scanner — so the colour you picked is the colour that comes out the other end. The full-fidelity option for work that ends up printed.
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The colour-theory books behind pairings like Universal Khaki — history, reference and the science of what works together.
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