CP

Retro Color Palette — Avocado & Amber Glow

A warm five-color 1970s scheme pairing burnt orange and avocado green with mustard, soft cream, and warm brown — every color matched to real paint you can buy.

By Emily Roberts · DIY Editor & First-Timer's Guide

Burnt Orange
Dominant
Kompozit Pretty Parasol · 1039
#AC5D3E
LRV 17
Avocado Green
Secondary
Kompozit Green Knoll · 0760
#647F4A
LRV 18
Soft Cream
Base
Kompozit Ivory Parchment · 0300
#EFE3CA
LRV 78
Warm Walnut
Support
Kompozit Hideaway · 0137
#654637
LRV 7
Golden Mustard
Accent
Kompozit Sin City · 0816
#CFA236
LRV 39
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There is something so comforting about a 1970s color scheme, and this one leans into all the best parts. Burnt Orange is the star here, that toasty, sun-warmed shade you remember from old kitchens, and Avocado Green plays right alongside it like an old friend.

To keep it from feeling like a time capsule, I lean on Soft Cream as the quiet base that lets your eyes rest. Warm Walnut grounds everything with a deep, woody richness, and a little Golden Mustard is the spark that makes the whole thing glow.

If you are nervous about going full retro, start small. Paint the walls cream, then bring in the orange, green, and mustard through one painted piece, a door, or a single accent wall. It is a warm, lived-in look that feels right at home in 2026.

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
#B85C2E · LRV 18 · Dominant
Kompozit Pretty Parasol · 1039 ΔE 4.36
Backdrop Bahaus · BD-BH ΔE 16.5
Behr Jack O Lantern · M220-7 ΔE 2.88
Benjamin Moore Gold Rush · 2166-10 ΔE 3.65
Clare Sriracha · PNT100-DP-29 ΔE 12.03
Dunn-Edwards Georgia Clay · DE5181 ΔE 4.82
Farrow & Ball Blazer · No. 212 ΔE 12.12
Magnolia Home Work Worn Wood · JG-35 ΔE 6.33
PPG / Glidden Tabasco · 1192-7 ΔE 4.7
Sherwin-Williams Husky Orange · SW 6636 ΔE 3.4
Valspar Storybook Sundown · V010-3 ΔE 3.59
Avocado Green
#6B7A3A · LRV 17 · Secondary
Kompozit Green Knoll · 0760 ΔE 4.81
Backdrop Old Soul · BD-OS ΔE 9.58
Behr Tree Hugger · S340-7 ΔE 2.76
Benjamin Moore Avocado · 2145-10 ΔE 3.14
Clare Daily Greens · PNT100-DP-61 ΔE 10
Dunn-Edwards Shaded Spruce · DE5587 ΔE 4.08
Farrow & Ball Bancha · No. 298 ΔE 8.83
Magnolia Home Celery Seeds · JG-58 ΔE 6.66
PPG / Glidden Lucky · 1118-7 ΔE 2.83
Sherwin-Williams Paradise · SW 6720 ΔE 2.11
Valspar Leaps and Bounds · 8002-28G ΔE 2.34
Soft Cream
#EDE3CC · LRV 77 · Base
Kompozit Ivory Parchment · 0300 ΔE 0.94
Backdrop Don't Eat the Yellow Snow · BD-DS ΔE 1.8
Behr Raffia Cream · 710C-2 ΔE 0.72
Benjamin Moore Oatmeal · 268 ΔE 0.99
Clare Like Buttah · PNT100-LT-62 ΔE 2.32
Dunn-Edwards Navajo White · DEC772 ΔE 0.59
Farrow & Ball Dimity · No. 2008 ΔE 3.01
Magnolia Home Soft Landing · JG-17 ΔE 1.56
PPG / Glidden Morocco Sand · 1096-2 ΔE 0.47
Sherwin-Williams Classical White · SW 2829 ΔE 0.8
Valspar Ivory Essence · 3006-8C ΔE 0.8
Warm Walnut
#5E4632 · LRV 7 · Support
Kompozit Hideaway · 0137 ΔE 4.47
Backdrop It's a Date · BD-IT ΔE 2.44
Behr Moose Trail · N190-7 ΔE 2.91
Benjamin Moore Taupe · 2110-10 ΔE 1.23
Clare Blackish · PNT100-DP-54 ΔE 12.69
Dunn-Edwards Northern Territory · DEA158 ΔE 4.95
Farrow & Ball Mahogany · No. 36 ΔE 9.26
Magnolia Home Mountain Currant · JG-171 ΔE 7.3
PPG / Glidden Fudge Truffle · 1075-7 ΔE 4.4
Sherwin-Williams Java · SW 6090 ΔE 3.09
Valspar Boston Brown Bread · 8005-9G ΔE 1.37
Golden Mustard
#D4A02C · LRV 39 · Accent
Kompozit Sin City · 0816 ΔE 1.89
Backdrop Eames · BD-EA ΔE 11.84
Behr Plantain Chips · M290-6 ΔE 1.51
Benjamin Moore Golden Bounty · 294 ΔE 3.37
Clare Good as Gold · PNT100-DP-59 ΔE 9.47
Dunn-Edwards Spicy Mustard · DE5384 ΔE 2.27
Farrow & Ball India Yellow · No. 66 ΔE 6.62
Magnolia Home Bright Days · JG-45 ΔE 9.35
PPG / Glidden Curry Sauce · 1210-7 ΔE 0.87
Sherwin-Williams Glitzy Gold · SW 6691 ΔE 0.53
Valspar Ripe Pear · P091 ΔE 2.65

Questions

Why do these retro colors work together?

They all share a warm, earthy undertone, which is what made 1970s rooms feel so cozy. The burnt orange and avocado green sit near each other on the warm side of the color wheel, so they hum together instead of fighting, and the cream keeps things from getting too heavy.

How do I use these without my room feeling dated?

Let the soft cream lead the walls and keep the bolder colors in smaller doses — a burnt orange chair, a mustard throw, an avocado accent wall. That nods to the era while still feeling fresh and 2026.

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