It is all in the semantics, consider mud brown vs. chocolate. Wouldn’t you have a library done in Hershey? Or Godiva? Yum. Brown is a wonderful, warm, earthy color that too often gets short shrift by its moniker. Just rename it . . . cinnamon, bark, mahogany, toast, all conjure up inviting images of rooms to curl up in.
It is a hot combination with all manner of aqua blues and turquoise, a great foil for brown. But brown is also capable of a lot more. Try it with corals, sage, golds, and even dusky plums. It is not as hard and edgy as black. And you can make it sophisticated with a laquer finish.
Brown actually indicates dependability and reliability, hence UPS’s choice of corporate color, now ubiquitous with their branding. It is a color that brings feelings of comfort and thoughts of home for many. And of course, there is our favorite animated Mr. Dependable, Charlie Brown.