Colours and Human Behavior Part 10

The Colour Brown

The colour of security, protection and material wealth

The colour brown is a serious, down-to-earth colour signifying stability, structure and support.

Relating to the protection and support of the family unit, with a keen sense of duty and responsibility, brown takes its obligations seriously. It encourages a strong need for security and a sense of belonging, with family and friends being of utmost importance.

In the meaning of colours, brown is the colour of material security and the accumulation of material possessions.

The colour brown relates to quality in everything - a comfortable home, the best food and drink and loyal companionship. It is a colour of physical comfort, simplicity and quality. From a negative perspective it can also give the impression of cheapness and stinginess in certain circumstances.

Brown is friendly and approachable. It is loyal and trustworthy and dependable in a practical and realistic way.

In colour psychology, brown is honest, genuine and sincere. It relates to the hardworking, the industrious and reliable, with both feet planted firmly on the ground.

It is sensual, sensitive and warm, engulfing one in a feeling of calmness and comfort.

It is a practical and sensible colour which implies common sense. It hides the dirt!

The colour brown is associated with wholesome, natural and organic produce and anything related to the great outdoors, agriculture and farming.

Brown is a frugal colour - it is not associated with frivolity, excess or waste in any form. While it is materialistic, it values quality above all else, and everything in moderation.

Some browns can show a degree of sophistication or elegance, depending on other colours associated with the brown. For example, brown with a soft white or ivory can appear stylish and classy, although more casual than black with soft white or ivory.

Brown suppresses the emotions, creating a safe haven from the stresses of the outside world within which problems can be contemplated and solved.

Brown is a colour of structure, although by no means does it encourage perfectionism - rather it encourages orderliness and organization.

The colour brown gives reassurance. It is quietly confident but never the life of the party! Brown does not seek attention - it prefers to stay in the background, allowing other colours around it to shine.

Brown is solid with strength and maturity. It prefers to function in its own safe little world - it is not carefree and spontaneous and doesn't like surprises. It can be considered dull, boring and unexciting by many. In fact it is one of the least preferred colours in the western world, along with orange and yellow.

Brown is a predominant colour on the planet, along with green. Brown is comforting and stabilizing, while green is balancing and rejuvenating, just what we all need to help us deal with the stresses of modern life.

The psychological meaning of the colour brown can vary slightly depending on the colours which are mixed together to create the brown. Brown can be a combination of black, yellow, orange, red, grey, green, blue, pink and purple, and each of the colours in it will add a variation to the meaning.

Positive and Negative Traits of Brown

Positive keywords include: down-to-earth, wholesome, practical, approachable, friendly, stable, structured, supportive, comforting, reliable, protective, strength, quietly confident, sensual, sensitive, warm, reassured, honest, sincere, quality

Negative keywords include: dull, boring, frugal, materialistic, lack of humour, lack of sophistication, predictable, cheap and stingy

Brown Represents:

Stability: Reassuring and comforting, earthy and contained.

Structure: It encourages orderliness and organization.

Security: Safe and protective - a refuge from the chaos of the outside world and a sense of belonging.

Natural and wholesome: related to the earth, nutrition, health and goodness.

Effects of Brown:

Comforting: Sensual and warm, friendly and approachable, brown engulfs one in a feeling of calm and safety

Protective: creates a safe haven of support for family and friends

Materialistic: it encourages material security and the accumulation of possessions

Variations of Brown:

Light Brown: is friendly and approachable, sincere, honest and genuine

Dark brown: is strong yet sad and depressive, materialistic yet prudent

Tan: is ageless and timeless, straightforward, uncomplicated and natural

Ivory: is calming, yet encouraging, with a reserved style of simple sophistication

Beige: is practical and reliable, conservative, constant, unchanging and loyal