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Diamonds may be forever, but emeralds are for 2013. Trish Lorenz goes shopping for this year's interiors colour of choice

If fashion is your friend, then it's time to pick up your paintbrush. Last year's cool colour, the vibrant tangerine tango, is about to be usurped by emerald green.

If fashion is your friend, then it's time to pick up your paintbrush. Last year's cool colour, the vibrant tangerine tango, is about to be usurped by emerald green.

Colour has become big business as retailers and designers turn to forecasters to help them to anticipate the shades and tones that we're going to favour in our wardrobes and homes over the coming year. And last week, the largest of these forecasters, the colour specialist Pantone, decreed emerald as the colour of 2013.

"Green is the most abundant hue in nature and the human eye sees more green than any other colour in the spectrum," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Colour Institute. "Symbolically, emerald brings a sense of clarity, renewal and rejuvenation, and it's a tone that translates easily to both fashion and home interiors."

Emerald is a strong colour but there are plenty of ways to incorporate it into your interior spaces. If you're feeling bold, paint an entire dining room emerald to create a sophisticated and luxurious vibe. Or choose wallpaper with emerald tones for a similar effect. To keep the scheme feeling contemporary, mix emerald with white and add bright accessories.

"An easy way of using bold colours such as emerald is to add accessories in fluoro shades that fizz against the vibrant wall colours and then choose white furniture to unify the space and complete the look,' says Dulux creative director Marianne Shillingford.

If painting an entire room emerald feels a little extreme, try using the shade on a niche wall or in a guest loo. Or experiment with furniture or accent pieces. Emerald curtains, for example, will add a touch of depth and vibrancy against wood floors and pale walls. Deep-green dining chairs work well with wooden tables and emerald-toned artworks add a sophisticated vibe to any room.