We are surrounded by color like brown. Color can impact our behavior, emotions, and even our workplace performance. When understood through color psychology, color can be used as a business tool, especially when it comes to designing your workspace.
When assigning meaning to color, it is important to keep in mind how culture comes into play. Though our brains will likely categorize color automatically, we are partially taught how to respond to color through human experience, advertising, and tradition. Colors can evoke different emotions and behaviors across the globe.
The Psychology of Brown
Brown is diverse. Though found organically in nature, the color can be made by mixing many possible combinations of colors together. But brown’s melting pot of differing colors is murky, blurring the lines of the rainbow and sending confusing messages of duality.
Reminiscent of nature and the circle of life, the color can evoke an array of emotions. Brown is an earthy, wholesome color. It is honest and sensible. But in its simplicity, the color can be uninspiring and mundane. It is dirty and drab, but also strong and dependable.
Being the color of many confections, brown has a richness to it. It is the color of warm coffee, delectable chocolate, and molasses treats. Its sense of comfort reminds us of home and treasured loved ones. Its rugged feel reminds us of outdoor adventures of courage and resolve. The color’s strong link to the outdoor world grounds us to earth, but also puts us right in the dirt.
The color in the Workplace
Brown is traditional. It is the color of many organic materials. And with its humble earthy tones, it can create a welcoming and harmonious atmosphere by bringing the outdoors inside.
But duller shades of brown may be taken as a lack sophistication and evoke frugality. When used in long, desert-like stretches, the color can also feel isolating and lonely, making workers sluggish and unproductive.
How to Incorporate Brown
As the natural color of many building materials, brown can be easily incorporated into your workspace. Adding hardwood furnishing or floors is a classic way to add the color. Hardwood is easier to clean and maintain than carpet or upholstery. And with a little polish, your space can look effortlessly refined.
When painting, be careful of the shade you choose. Painting with darker shades can make an area appear smaller, darker, and claustrophobic. But painting with lighter shades, like beige and taupe, can establish cohesion among different rooms or departments within a workspace. As a neutral color, light brown can also create a consistent background to brighten accents of colorful decor. Other earthy tones, like blue and green, compliment brown best.
