You may not think of brown as a very exciting color. After all, it’s the color of dirt, right? But when you start exploring the vast spectrum of brown shades available, you may be surprised by the variety of rich and vibrant hues out there. From cool to warm browns, and from light to dark, there is a favorite shade of brown out there for everyone.
Almond
Almond is a cool, light brown with a semi grayish hue. This color could also be classified in the gray or white family.
Almond
Hex #EFDECD
RGB 239, 222, 205
Auburn
Auburn is a rich, reddish brown color with a leaning towards the red family. It is more brown than burgundy, but redder than burnt umber.
Auburn
Hex #A52A2A
RGB 165, 42, 42
Beaver
Beaver is a medium, grayish brown with a cool undertone. It is similar to, but cooler in tone than taupe.
Beaver
Hex #9F8170
RGB 159, 129, 112
Beige
Beige is a very pale, tannish shade of brown. It is sometimes classified as a white, and is cooler in tone than tan.
Beige
Hex #F5F5DC
RGB 245, 245, 220
Bisque
Bisque is a pale, creamy shade of brown with a similarity to sand. It can also be classified as a shade of white.
Bisque
Hex #FFE4C4
RGB 255, 228, 196
Bistre
Bistre is a very dark, semi cool shade of brown with similarities to dark brown and coffee, though darker than both of these shades.
Bistre
Hex #3D2B1F
RGB 61, 43, 31
Bole
Bole is a medium to dark brown shade with a cool, reddish purple undertone. It is similar in hue to burgundy, but browner and more muted.
Bole
Hex #79443B
RGB 121, 68, 59
Bone
Bone is a very pale, grayish shade of brown with similarities to parchment and light gray.
Bone
Hex #E3DAC9
RGB 227, 218, 201
Brass
Brass is medium, warm brown with a strong yellowish tone and hints of green. The color brass resembles the color of the metal by the same name.
Brass
Hex #B5A642
RGB 181, 166, 66
Bronze
Bronze is a medium, warm shade of brown with an orange tone. Similar to copper, but warmer in tone, bronze resembles the metal by the same name.
Bronze
Hex #CD7F32
RGB 205, 127, 50
Burnt Umber
Burnt umber is a medium to dark shade of brown with a leaning towards a rich, dark red. It is a much warmer and redder shade of umber.
Burnt umber
Hex #8A3324
RGB 138, 51, 36
Cafe Au Lait
Cafe au lait is a light to medium brown shade similar to a dark beige or tan. It is reminiscent of the color of a latte, but slightly cooler in tone.
Cafe au lait
Hex #A67B5B
RGB 166, 123, 91
Cafe Noir
Cafe noir is a dark shade of brown similar to dark brown and coffee. Cafe noir is cooler in tone than dark brown.
Cafe noir
Hex #4B3621
RGB 75, 54, 33
Champagne
Champagne is a light shade of brown that can also be classified as a shade of white. It is warmer in tone than beige and more saturated in color than bisque.
Champagne
Hex #FAD6A5
RGB 250, 214, 165
Cinnamon
Cinnamon is a medium, warm shade of brown with hints of yellowy orange. It is lighter and warmer in tone than the spice by the same name.
Cinnamon
Hex #D2691E
RGB 210, 105, 30
Coffee
Coffee is a dark, cool shade of brown with a somewhat grayish undertone. It is cooler than dark brown.
Coffee
Hex #6F4E37
RGB 111, 78, 55
Deep Coffee
Deep coffee is a dark, cool shade of brown with a purplish red tone. It is darker and warmer in tone than coffee, but cooler than dark brown.
Deep coffee
Hex #704241
RGB 112, 66, 65
Copper
Copper is a medium, warm shade of brown with hints of soft orange. It is similar in color to the metal by the same name, but warmer and more muted.
Copper
Hex #B87333
RGB 184, 115, 51
Dark Brown
Dark brown is deep shade of brown with more similarity to the color of chocolate or coffee than the colors represented by those names.
Dark brown
Hex #654321
RGB 101, 67, 33
Taupe
Taupe is a light to medium brown with a gray, earthy hue. It is similar to beaver, but warmer in tone.
Taupe
Hex #483C32
RGB 72, 60, 50
Tan
Tan is a light shade of brown with similarities to beige and sand. It is warmer in tone than beige and cooler than sand.
Tan
Hex #D2B48C
RGB 210, 180, 140
Chestnut
Chestnut is a medium shade of brown with a pinky red tone. It is similar in color to the fruit of a chestnut tree, but paler and leaning more towards red.
Chestnut
Hex #CD5C5C
RGB 205, 92, 92
Sand
Sand is a light, cool shade of brown that is similar to bisque, but cooler in tone. Sand is similar in color to the sands of some beaches.
Sand
Hex #F6D7B0
RGB 246, 215, 176
Ecru
Ecru is a light shade of brown with a cool, pale yellow undertone. It is similar in color to sand, but warmer in hue.
Ecru
Hex #C2B280
RGB 194, 178, 128
Fawn
Fawn is a light, warm shade of brown with a bright, peachy orange tone. It is similar in color to the shell of a brown chicken egg.
Fawn
Hex #E5AA70
RGB 229, 170, 112
Ginger
Ginger is a warm, medium brown with a rich gold tone. It is similar in color to the spice of the same name, but a little warmer and lighter.
Ginger
Hex #B06500
RGB 176, 101, 0
Golden Brown
Golden brown is a medium to dark warm shade of brown with a hint of cool, natural gold. It is similar to ginger, but a little paler and cooler.
Golden brown
Hex #996515
RGB 153, 101, 21
Khaki
Khaki is a light shade of brown similar in color to the fabric of the same name that is often used for men’s trousers. It can be compared to tan, but it is cooler in tone.
Khaki
Hex #C3B091
RGB 195, 176, 145
Mahogany
Mahogany is a deep, rich shade of medium brown with a warm, reddish tone. It is similar to cinnamon, but darker and warmer.
Mahogany
Hex #C04000
RGB 192, 64, 0
Ochre
Ochre is a warm, medium shade of brown with a soft, yellowish undertone. It is similar in color to bronze, but with a more earthy orange tone.
Ochre
Hex #CC7722
RGB 204, 119, 34
Light Brown
Light brown is a medium shade of brown with a soft, warm undertone. It is similar in color to ochre, but a little darker.
Light brown
Hex #B5651D
RGB 181, 101, 29
Saddle Brown
Saddle brown is a dark, warm shade of brown. It is similar in color to russet, but a little lighter and warmer.
Saddle brown
Hex #8B4513
RGB 139, 69, 19
Wheat
Wheat is a light shade of brown that can also be classified as a white. It is similar in color to bisque, but a little darker and warmer. It is more peach in tone than the kernels of the wheat plant.
Wheat
Hex #F5DEB3
RGB 245, 222, 179
Russet
Russet is a dark shade of brown with similarities to saddle brown, but a little darker and cooler. Russet also has a little hint of a red undertone.
Russet
Hex #80461B
RGB 128, 70, 27
Rust
Rust is a medium, warm reddish shade of brown with a similarity to the color of rusted metal. It resembles the hue of bronze, but it is richer and redder.
Rust
Hex #B7410E
RGB 183, 65, 14
Sepia
Sepia is a dark shade of brown that represents the color of the ink used in old sepia print photographs. It is similar to dark brown, but a little warmer in tone.
Sepia
Hex #704214
RGB 112, 66, 20
Sienna
Sienna is a dark, reddish shade of brown with similarities to russet and mahogany. It is also closer in color to the fruit of the chestnut tree than the color chestnut.
Sienna
Hex #A0522D
RGB 160, 82, 45
Antique Brass
Antique brass is a soft, light shade of brown with a similarity to bisque, but darker. Antique brass is a cooler tone than brass and leans a little towards peach.
Antique brass
Hex #CD9575
RGB 205, 149, 117
Burlywood
Burlywood is a very pale, warm shade of brown with similarities to bisque and desert sand. It is a little more peach in hue than tan.
Burlywood
Hex #DEB887
RGB 222, 184, 135
Peru
Peru is a light to medium brown with a warm tone. It is similar in color to cinnamon, but lighter and a little less orange in undertone.
Peru
Hex #CD853F
RGB 205, 133, 63
Tumbleweed
Tumbleweed is a light shade of brown with similarities to beige or bisque. It is cooler and more orange in tone than tan.
Tumbleweed
Hex #DEAA88
RGB 222, 170, 136
Dark Vanilla
Dark vanilla is a light, grayish shade of brown with similarities to taupe and sand. It can also be classified as a gray or a white.
Dark vanilla
Hex #D1BEA8
RGB 209, 190, 168
Tuscan Brown
Tuscan brown is a dark shade of brown with a cool tone. It is similar in color to dark brown but cooler and with hints of gray.
Tuscan brown
Hex #6F4E37
RGB 111, 78, 55
Wood Brown
Wood brown is a light to medium shade of brown similar in shade to light colored hardwood floors. It is similar in color to fawn but with a cooler tone.
Wood brown
Hex #C19A6B
RGB 193, 154, 107
Deer
Deer is a light to medium shade of brown with a strong similarity to tan. It is also similar in color to taupe, but warmer in tone.
Deer
Hex #BA8759
RGB 186, 135, 89
Chamoisee
Chamoisee is a light shade of brown with similarities to beaver, but warmer in tone. It could also be described as a warmer shade of taupe.
Chamoisee
Hex #A0785A
RGB 160, 120, 90
Dirt
Dirt is a medium, cool shade of brown that is similar to chamoisee. It can also be described as a tan that is darker in color and grayer in tone.
Dirt
Hex #9B7653
RGB 155, 118, 83
Coconut
Coconut is a medium shade of brown with similarities to chamoisee but warmer in tone. It is lighter in color and cooler in tone than the color of a coconut shell.
Coconut
Hex #965A3E
RGB 150, 90, 62
Windsor Tan
Windsor tan is a warm, medium shade of brown that is similar in color to light brown, but much darker and richer.
Windsor tan
Hex #A75502
RGB 167, 85, 2
Rufous
Rufous is a dark, reddish shade of brown. It is similar to auburn, but without the purplish undertone.
Rufous
Hex #A81C07
RGB 168, 28, 7
Shades of Brown Color
As you can see, there is a huge selection of shades of brown to choose from, and those presented here are only a fraction of the browns that exist. Whatever project you’re working on, there is a precisely perfect brown shade for that final, finishing touch.
Jacob is the founder of Color Meanings, a blog about color symbolism and design. He is a world-renowned color expert and a recognized leader in understanding how colors affect human emotion and behavior. 