Decorating Brutalism: The Interiors of Kevin Roche

Brown.

Not a glamorous color. One that has been sidelined in the design world in favor of black, gray, cobalt and orange. But in the 1950s, brown meant something different. Graphic designer Paul Rand used it for the UPS brand, suggesting no-nonsense reliability, the democratic pleasure of the brown cardboard box.

Industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss streamlined his wardrobe to include only brown suits, which allowed him to travel easily (and without wardrobe malfunctions) between industrial clients in the Midwest and banking clients in New York.