What’s Old is New Again:  Return of the 70s

Designs of the 70s featured large, colorful graphics.  Influenced by abstract and pop art –  and even disco – there were bold stripes, waves, rainbows, sunbursts, and flowers.  The patterns could be found on walls, posters, album covers and clothing. These designs would be created inexpensively with paint on walls as cheap art for young apartment dwellers and as bold statements in offices and on building exteriors.

Art is back. Todays artist are creating their own wall art inspired by the 70’s.

Like every aspect of design, with their distinct retro vibe, these design features are making a comeback in restaurants, hip office spaces and in the dwellings of the young and young at heart. They are showing up as wall murals and fabric for home and office use, and even as wall, floor and furniture stencils. The designs are available through specialty websites such as zazzle, spoonflower and Etsy.

Wallpaper available at Spoonflower.com

There’s never been a better or easier time to relive the 70s or to discover its boldness for the first time.

America’s Color Consultants “Real” Colors of the Year

America’s Color Consultants (ACC), the nation’s first color consulting franchise, is pleased to introduce its first “Real” Colors of the Year choice for 2023.  While the major paint companies spend millions to introduce their colors for the coming year, ACC takes a different approach. ACC franchisees help their clients select colors they’ll love for more than 6-12 months. The average, real homeowner – those who use ACC services – paint their interiors an average of 5-8 years and exteriors 10-15 years.They may add to their interior furnishings, but few change everything enough to necessitate a wild swing in paint color. A color refresh, yes, but few ever ask about the vibrant hues offered as the color or palette for the coming year. Quite the opposite: occasionally a new client will ask “you’re not going to tell me to paint any of those loud colors of the year I see are you?” We assure them that what we select with them will work with their furnishings, and set the mood they want for each space while still looking fresh. ACC sees the trends of the past few years continuing for another five: the turn to neutrals for living spaces. Neutrals do not mean just shades of white or gray, but any subdued color. They can be warm or cool: Paper Mache, Baby Fawn, and Silver Strand are just a few of the colors that have proven popular and usable time and again.


Greek Villa, Sherwin-Williams 7551, is ACC’s first “Real” Color of the Year for 2023.  For a space refresh or for resale staging purposes, it works in just about all situations and no client has ever been unhappy with this choice.

Greek Villa

On occasion we suggest a color (or 2 or 3!) that a client may not have considered for their space. Our second color is Benjamin Moore’s Dark Celery  (2146-10), a bold rich choice for the right space that works with neutrals, grays, as well as deeper jewel tones. It is also the compliment color to Pantones Magenta.

Dark Celery

Sherwin Williams – Introducing Redend Point SW 9081, the Sherwin-Williams 2023 Color of the Year. In this soft and soulful neutral, we know what it is to feel cared for, to appreciate what we have, to create deeper connections as we move through the world.
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Redend

Benjamin Moore – Raspberry Blush 2008-30 strikes the right chord, setting the stage for Color Trends 2023.Never a backdrop, Raspberry Blush is the definition of charismatic color. This unapologetic shade of red orange had us thinking: bold, bolder, boldest. This sentiment flows through the rest of the palette as we immerse ourselves in hues that make a statement. Inspired by an artist’s desire to communicate through color, shape, and sound, Color Trends 2023 was built to envelop you in vivacious color.
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BlushRaspberry

Behr – The 2023 Color of the Year is a hopeful and welcoming warm white with limitless possibilities to help transform any vision into a reality. BLANK CANVAS DC-003

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Blank Canvas

PPG – PPG and Glidden paint by PPG announced their 2023 Color of the Year: Vining Ivy (PPG1148-6) – an energizing, yet grounding blue-green that can be used in any space. Its versatility takes the guesswork out of design, leaving consumers with more time to indulge in the things that matter most to them.
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Vining Ivy

Pantone – Pantone’s Color of the Year, Viva Magenta 18-1750, vibrates with vim and vigor. It is a shade rooted in nature descending from the red family and expressive of a new signal of strength. Viva Magenta is brave and fearless, and a pulsating color whose exuberance promotes a joyous and optimistic celebration, writing a new narrative.
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Magenta

Artisan Tiles

All artisan tiles are handcrafted by skilled craftsmen and there is a slight difference among all the tiles because they are handmade. Artisan tiles can be described as offering something timeless and utterly sophisticated. However, because they are unique, if you are someone who needs the exact same pattern and design on every tile, you may want to choose a machine-made product.


All the hard work, effort and skill of the artisan comes at a premium price. Artisan tiles are more expensive than machine made, mass-produced products. Because artisan tiles are made to order, make sure to buy 10% more than your actual estimate. If any damage occurs to one or more tiles, you can replace them. Otherwise, you may not be able to find the exact same design and shade color if needed in the future. 


Here are some colorful ideas:
Tiles shown above by https://www.maplejude.com/tiles

There are several artisan tile producers in Southern California, including Malibu Ceramic Works and Tierra y Fuego. They make custom handcrafted tile in the style of historic, iconic California tiles, such as Malibu Tile, Catalina Pottery tile, Batchelder tile and Hispano Moresque, among others. The tiles are recognizable due to their combination of raised and flat glazes and matte and shiny finishes. The same techniques used by the legendary Malibu and Catalina Potteries of the 1920’s are used by their artisans today, hand applying the glazes to outlined designs.

Yohen and Yuki border tiles are Japanese tiles recognizable for their long, thin design which are evenly stacked either horizontally or vertically. The first time the Yohen Border was commercially produced was for Frank Lloyd Wright for his famous Imperial Hotel in Tokyo in 1924. INAX Tile has been developing the Yohen Borders since 2000. The innovative designs and fantastic designs of these artisan tiles make it an excellent choice for a modern home or mid-century renovation.

The Yuki border is also created by INAX and is differentiated from the Yohen border by its gentle curve, which is obtained naturally by using a split bamboo

Quadri Tiles are italian artisan tiles are created from porcelain, a material which is impervious to moisture and humidity. Therefore, they are long-lasting and can retain excellent color. Porcelain requires minimal care and can be cleaned quite easily. Since these porcelain tiles come in geometric shapes, you can easily align them and make them look completely uniform. Quadri Artisan Tiles create a geometry of vertical and horizontal planes with their tile that effect a weave with the tile. Tile designer Sebastian Herkner creates innovative and fascinating new tactile experiences with tile.

Plummage tiles are made into depressions or elevations that mostly resemble bird’s feathers. Many of these tiles are handcrafted in Italy, and the hand painting makes each tile have the very slight imperfections that create a unique environment in one’s space.

2022 Paint Color Trends -Green

Green Is In!  While the color green in its many shades is always a perennial favorite among ACC’s clients, this year the majority of paint manufacturers have selected a green as their Color of the Year.  As green represents renewal and growth and positively affects our physical health, we celebrate their selections:

Benjamin Moore – Make room for creativity with October Mist 1495, the Benjamin Moore Color of the Year 2022. This gently shaded sage quietly anchors a space, while encouraging individual expression through color.

Sherwin Williams Evergreen Fog SW 9130, Soothing, subtle and a perfect shade to freshen up any space.

McCormick Paints – It’s time to Chillax. Our 2022 Color of the Year has an airy, soothing tone that is comfortable in a rustic, modern, or traditional space. This white has no boundaries, a timeless classic.

PPGOlive Sprig PPG 1125-4 After a year of stay-at-home orders and too few IRL (in-real-life) moments in 2020 and 2021, homeowners, designers, architects and facility managers are craving authenticity, nature and meaningful human interaction after living in a mostly digital world.

BehrBreeseway MQ3-21 – evokes feelings of coolness and peace while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions.