The new neutral is darker, gray is big, and black and white are still going strong, but that doesn’t mean this year’s rooms are reading dull. In fact, all those dusky tones are the perfect backdrop for the jewels – jewel tones, that is – trending in 2012.

2012 is looking bright – at least in the eyes of color authority Pantone, which named Tangerine Tango its color of the year.