Regarding the paint schemes/designs that clients seem to be choosing today, Restyling's sources factored in such demographic factors as region, newer vehicles vs. classic vs. hot rods, age groups, etc.Here's what they had to say:

Neil Tjin, of Tjin Editions tells us, “For us, it is all about clean, subtle and simple. It really doesn’t matter the demographic or region. Some of our clients like metallic colors, but a good majority of our builds are done in solid colors. Mattes are popular also, but we don’t do matte paint jobs due to not having a clear coat, and showing finger prints at shows. If our customer wants a matte finish, we recommend a wrap.”

Rick Bottom from Rick Bottom Designs sees variety. “Seems like anything goes!” he says. “Clean two-tones with a contrasting stripe dividing never go out of style. If you work with the body lines of the car instead of against them, the results are better. A trick I use for stripes sometimes is to mix the top color with the side color to create the color for the stripe — it makes a nice transition. You will see a lot of older-styled solid paint and colors on the new cars in 2012-2013. Olive greens and browns are coming back. Customers often want the colors they see on the new cars applied to their street rods and customized older cars.

“The crazy muti-colored ‘chop-suey’ designs are coming back strong on custom full-size and mini trucks,” Bottom adds. “[But] tasteful, subtle graphics never go out of style. Pinstriping as an art form is also still highly regarded and it is getting harder to find guys doing it. So if you have an expert pinstriper in your area, take good care of him, make sure he is eating properly and getting enough rest! Tip him every time he does work for you!” (Author’s note – I like this guy’s thinking!)

Larry Weiner from Performance West Group notes, “The choice of paint schemes is as varied as the enthusiasts themselves. Certainly, some [schemes] are traditional, such as flames, but are not limited to just traditional street rods. There is no question that enthusiasts from specific geographic areas and age groups have different ideas about what they like when it comes to custom paint. Some groups like wild, metal flake, while others choose hot rod black to make their statement. Historically, the cutting-edge trends still start out West and work their way East. Older enthusiasts tend to be more traditional, while younger enthusiasts are more avant-garde.”