Several readers have written to alert me that Sherwin-Williams no longer has brochures for our beloved Suburban Modern paint palettes in their stores. These have been tried, true, authentic paint colors for our 1950s, 1960s and 1970s colors for years. BUT: You can still get the brochures — with the paint codes – two ways.
So far, both the interior and exterior paint collection brochures still are available on Sherwin-Williams’ website. And, just in case they are completely discontinued at some point, I scanned both brochures — interior and exterior — and put them into a downloadable PDF.
If you want to try these colors — you need to print out the brochures from online, take them into to the store, match them to sample chips, and then decide whether you want to go to the next step of getting samples. Going through this step-by-step process is really important, because what you see on the computer is likely NOT what you will see on the chip… and then, you always want to test any color on the wall.
Here are the downloads:
- Still available on Sherwin-William’s website: Suburban Modern Interior paint palette.
- Still available on Sherwin-Williams’ website: Exteriors Suburban Modern Exterior paing palette.
- Note: All Sherwin-Williams Historic Collection Paint Palettes here.
- My PDF, just in case: Sherwin-Williams Suburban Modern Palette – Original Brochures for Authentic Retro Paint Colors
Sherwin Williams Suburban Modern paint colors: #1 for 50s style retro paint palette 
Retro laminates – Colors from Arpa compared to the Sherwin Williams Suburban Modern palette 
60-page vintage Sherwin-Williams paint and style guide 
Become a fan
I was lucky a few months ago that one of my local Sherwin Williams stores still had the brochures and grabbed a couple. When I visited another store, they told me they had none and weren’t expecting any.
I painted my entire newy renovated basement in Chartreuse SW0073 (it is gorgeous) and the laundry room Sunbeam Yellow SW0078. They don’t look anything like the colors that the brochure shows on my computer screen.
Even if the brochures are discontinued, won’t the paint colors still be available? There must be a formula for mixing the codes, no?
Tina, sorry but I must not have written clearly: The codes are in the brochures. I am betting the sample chips for each of these colors are still in the stores too. So: You can still easily find and get the colors – just not the brochures.
I was in Sherwin Williams the other day and noticed they didn’t have those brochures anymore. We picked up the Streamline Years (the 1930s) when we started our project, but were also interested in the Suburban Modern brochures. Sad they don’t still have them, as they’re were a great reference for the different eras, but I’m glad you can at least still get the colors.
I went to my files and found I still have the Exterior colors brochure (yay!), but not the Interior colors
So thanks, Pam, for making these sources available online!
After looking at the brochure again, I’m seriously considering Sycamore Tan for the body color of my house – to be painted this summer, FINALLY! I think it’s a color the Mulchman and I can agree on.
They don’t seem to have these exact colors in chips in the stores any more. However, they do retain the formulas on their computers. I was able to buy a can of “Roycroft Adobe” from their discontinued Arts and Crafts brochure — they looked up the name on the computer and made the color.
Do visit any Sherwin-Williams dealer you come across and ask about the brochures. Somebody is bound to have a few, at least for a while. Eventually Ebay may have them.
Sherwin-Williams in Pueblo, Colorado, has a few Suburban Modern brochures. I got one today, and I see that the colors don’t match the pdf’s that I printed out.
Here’s the information for the store: 3205 N. Elizabeth, Pueblo, CO 81008, (719) 544-7812. The obsolete brochures are in Crystal’s file drawer in the office. I don’t know if they’d mail a brochure but it might be worth a try.