Trend Alert: The Hot Hues for 2013

It's not just about colors in 2013. "Earthy textures lay a new foundation for palettes of blues and greens," says color expert and executive director of the Pantone Color Institute Leatrice Eiseman. Ana White, author of The Handbuilt Home (due out in October; Clarkson Potter) suggests breathing new life into an existing hutch with several coats of ocean-blue paint, a move she calls noncommittal. Ground the oversize piece with lots of white ceramic objects and natural wood and wicker.

Quirky and whimsical. This is how Eiseman describes this color collection, which marries shades of pumpkin and bright blue with goldenrod, lime, and violet. Beth Styles, author of the blog Parsimonia calls this unlikely harmony of hues home. "I adore bold colors and try to get them into my home as much as possible," Styles says. Her advice? Welcome accessories in to test pairings—a couple of pillows, a throw over a chair, or a spray-painted lamp against the wall.

The palette that mixes sandy brown, vibrant tangerine, peacock blue, and fiery pink together, is not for the color shy. "It's inspired by bright tribal tones," says Eiseman. "The colors are bold and forthright." And they were the perfect shades to create an inviting respite in Prudent Baby blogger Jacinda Boneau's courtyard entry. She used variations of the shades to make painted cushions for her folding chairs and to create the space's focal point: a DIY Native American God's Eye above the bench. To make your own, see Boneau's how-to.

Preppy primary colors and bright white become more modern when used with shades of gray—or black! "Painting just one wall can help create a focal point," Eiseman says. Though Eiseman thinks black might be pushing it for most, Happy Home blogger Belinda Graham, loves the way color pops against a midnight background, like in her daughter's playroom. But Graham cautions that these walls should never be left bare. "Pull white furniture in front of a dark wall or create a gallery of prints and objects on it," she says.

An ethereal gray room punctuated by one wall of deep, dark blue-green creates a sensuous atmosphere in Jones Design Company blogger Emily Jones' master bedroom. This sleek scheme takes a cue from Pantone's glamour palette of moody shades of gray and hints of metallic shimmer. Eiseman suggests introducing rich red or cobalt blue accents to add a bit of classic drama.

Using shades of orange—from melon to coral—creates combinations that are piquant and refreshing, Eiseman says. Add a dash of cinnamon and a burst of tart green apple for a fresh balance of color, she explains. City Refugee blogger Tess Kelly, nibbled at this palette when she hung a red shelf in her all-white kitchen and lined it with vintage tea tins and utensils in varying spice-tone shades. "When it comes to color, start small," advises Kelly, who has taken baby steps in coloring her neutral abode. "Add pops of color and see how it makes you feel."

Eiseman's favorite palette for next year combines quiet moss green, cobblestone gray and shitake brown with vibrant fuchsia. "I love the complexity and seriousness of a single bold shade," she says. Blogger Michelle Hughes of Vintage Junky couldn't agree more. To bring one neutral corner of her living room to life, Hughes put clusters of purpley-pink blooms in green grass vases. "I've always liked how fuchsia pairs with green," she says. Plus it brings out the brighter shades in the vintage German botanical print Hughes hung on her Revere Pewter (a Benjamin Moore color) walls.