If you’re into what’s “in” when it comes to interior paint colors, just look outside in 2013. The greens and blues that characterize the world outdoors are the same hues that will be popular when beautifying our living spaces this year, according to Debbie Zimmer, paint and color expert for the Paint Quality Institute.

“It’s fitting that green is expected to be one of the top paint colors used to refresh and renew the interiors of homes and buildings,” says Zimmer. “Green has always been symbolic of new life. Only now, it will be giving new life to tired interiors.”

That’s not to say, however, that the “pure” green we see on the color wheel will be the peoples’ (or designers’) choice. With the growing complexity and sophistication of the palette offered by most paint companies, “green” today refers to an extremely wide spectrum of hues.

To visualize the options, think of the many colors that appear in a garden or grove of trees: apple, asparagus, celery, fern, honeydew, lime, mint, olive, and willow may come to mind. Wherever you buy your paint, you’ll likely find some tints and shades of green named after such familiar flora.

“Then there are the greens that gravitate toward blue, which just happens to be projected as the other popular paint color this year,” said Zimmer. “Bluish-greens like teal, turquoise, aquamarine and cyan are expected to be hot designer choices. By selecting one of these hybrid colors, you can in a sense co-opt both of the trendy color choices.”

That’s not to say we won’t see a lot of true blues this year. We will. And many will be drawn right from mother nature: lighter tints such as sky blue and robin’s egg to darker shades like slate, navy and midnight blue. . . and everything in between.

Because various greens and blues work so well together, virtually any combination from these extended color families can be used to create a visually pleasant interior. To that end, Zimmer suggests that do-it-yourselfers, and even professional painters and designers, mix it up when working with these hues.

Some of the ways to do that include using different blues or greens on the walls and trim, painting an accent wall in a slightly different color from the others, and even incorporating patterns into the paint color scheme used on the walls. Another idea: painting one or more items of furniture in a contrasting or complementary green or blue.

“Just as they do in a garden or landscape with the sky up above, the various greens and blues will tend to harmonize into a cohesive picture that will be as serene and tranquil as the beautiful scenes we see outdoors,” said Zimmer.

 To learn more about color and decorating, or to download the Paint Quality Institute’s free color app, visit www.paintquality.com. More advice on the use of interior and exterior paint color can be found at blog.paintquality.com.