CP

Retro Color Palette — Atomic Avocado

A warm five-color scheme built from burnt orange, avocado green, mustard, and toasty brown over a soft cream base — every color matched to real paint you can buy.

By Maya Patel · Reviews Editor & Product Tester

Burnt Orange
Dominant
Kompozit Best of the Bunch · 1068
#BD5442
LRV 18
Avocado Green
Secondary
Kompozit Green Glow · 0788
#798040
LRV 20
Soft Cream
Base
Kompozit Petticoat · 0010
#EFE5CE
LRV 79
Golden Mustard
Support
Kompozit Yellow Shout · 0935
#D19932
LRV 37
Walnut Brown
Accent
Kompozit Ruggero Grey · 0452
#484435
LRV 6
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The 1970s palette is having a real moment again, and the trick to making it feel like 2026 rather than a rerun is restraint. This scheme leads with a rich Burnt Orange and pairs it with a muted Avocado Green, the two shades that define the whole era.

A wide base of Soft Cream keeps things from going heavy, while Golden Mustard adds a sunny middle note that bridges the orange and the green. Walnut Brown is the grounding accent, the wood-tone depth that makes the warmer colors glow instead of shout.

Use the orange as your hero, keep the green and mustard supporting, and let the cream carry most of the space. Done that way, this reads cozy and collected, with just enough vintage charm to feel deliberate.

Buy These Colors

Each color matched to the closest real paint in every brand, by ΔE2000. Kompozit first; take any SKU to the store — these mix on demand.

Burnt Orange
#C05A2B · LRV 19 · Dominant
Kompozit Best of the Bunch · 1068 ΔE 8.19
Backdrop Bahaus · BD-BH ΔE 16.53
Behr Jack O Lantern · M220-7 ΔE 1.63
Benjamin Moore Fireball Orange · 2170-10 ΔE 4.49
Clare Sriracha · PNT100-DP-29 ΔE 11.8
Dunn-Edwards Spicy Tomato · DE5139 ΔE 4.31
Farrow & Ball Charlotte's Locks · No. 268 ΔE 6.35
Magnolia Home Work Worn Wood · JG-35 ΔE 6.93
PPG / Glidden Tabasco · 1192-7 ΔE 4.17
Sherwin-Williams Raucous Orange · SW 6883 ΔE 3.03
Valspar Storybook Sundown · V010-3 ΔE 3.6
Avocado Green
#7C7A3A · LRV 19 · Secondary
Kompozit Green Glow · 0788 ΔE 3.35
Backdrop Old Soul · BD-OS ΔE 8.01
Behr Green Tea Leaf · M330-7 ΔE 2.23
Benjamin Moore Perfectly Pesto · CSP-895 ΔE 2.91
Clare Daily Greens · PNT100-DP-61 ΔE 11.79
Dunn-Edwards Bay Leaf · DEA171 ΔE 3.91
Farrow & Ball Calke Green · No. 34 ΔE 12.24
Magnolia Home Celery Seeds · JG-58 ΔE 7.56
PPG / Glidden Lucky · 1118-7 ΔE 3.73
Sherwin-Williams Verdant · SW 6713 ΔE 2.82
Valspar Dried Bay Leaf · 8003-28F ΔE 3.07
Soft Cream
#EFE6D2 · LRV 80 · Base
Kompozit Petticoat · 0010 ΔE 1.08
Backdrop Don't Eat the Yellow Snow · BD-DS ΔE 1.85
Behr Scroll · N280-1 ΔE 1.64
Benjamin Moore Cappuccino Froth · CSP-1055 ΔE 0.48
Clare Like Buttah · PNT100-LT-62 ΔE 1.48
Dunn-Edwards Rice Bowl · DE6170 ΔE 1.12
Farrow & Ball Dimity · No. 2008 ΔE 2.25
Magnolia Home Carter Crème · JG-16 ΔE 1.02
PPG / Glidden Instant Relief · 1096-1 ΔE 1.6
Sherwin-Williams Décor White · SW 7559 ΔE 1.74
Valspar Ivory Lace · 7003-6 ΔE 1.33
Golden Mustard
#C9962E · LRV 34 · Support
Kompozit Yellow Shout · 0935 ΔE 1.86
Backdrop Carry the Two · BD-CT ΔE 18.57
Behr Glazed Pears · M270-6 ΔE 2.72
Benjamin Moore Spicy Mustard · 2154-20 ΔE 2.86
Clare Good as Gold · PNT100-DP-59 ΔE 8.41
Dunn-Edwards Jackpot · DE5321 ΔE 3.11
Farrow & Ball India Yellow · No. 66 ΔE 5.63
Magnolia Home Vintage Crown · JG-152 ΔE 12.76
PPG / Glidden Mecca Gold · 1209-7 ΔE 2.54
Sherwin-Williams Crispy Gold · SW 6699 ΔE 1.98
Valspar Ripe Banana · 8001-22G ΔE 1.98
Walnut Brown
#5A3D28 · LRV 6 · Accent
Kompozit Ruggero Grey · 0452 ΔE 13.06
Backdrop It's a Date · BD-IT ΔE 3.56
Behr Breakfast Blend · 280F-7 ΔE 3.46
Benjamin Moore Chocolate Sundae · 2113-10 ΔE 5.75
Clare Blackish · PNT100-DP-54 ΔE 14.57
Dunn-Edwards Northern Territory · DEA158 ΔE 5.8
Farrow & Ball Mahogany · No. 36 ΔE 10.57
Magnolia Home Wooded Acres · JG-122 ΔE 9.6
PPG / Glidden Dark Granite · 1005-7 ΔE 9.69
Sherwin-Williams Terra Brun · SW 6048 ΔE 5.68
Valspar Brown Hen · M122 ΔE 2.91

Questions

How do I keep these 1970s colors from feeling dated?

Pull the cream forward as your main wall color and use the brights in smaller doses. A wide field of Soft Cream with Burnt Orange and Avocado Green as accents reads warm and current, not like a time capsule.

Which color should I commit to first?

Start with Burnt Orange since it is the loudest. Test a 9-inch swatch in your light, and once you love it, layer the muted Avocado Green and Golden Mustard around it so the orange stays the clear lead.

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