Knock-knock: It's the color of the year

Want to juice up your decor? Add a splash of bright reddish orange.

The color gurus have spoken, declaring "Tangerine Tango" the Color of the Year for 2012. The vibrant hue is just what we need to boost our energy and spirits as we slog through the economic doldrums, according to the Pantone Color Institute.

You can saturate an accent wall ... punch up a room with citrus pillows ... or go all-out-'60s with an orange sofa or chair.

If you were born post-'60s, an orange sofa may strike you as sunny and refreshing. But if you're old enough to remember the decade, you might be flashing back to the burnt orange of your youth. Bummer!

Tangerine Tango is not your Mother's orange. It's cleaner and brighter than that murky earth-toned orange that hung around with Harvest Gold and Avocado back in the day.

But it's still a strong color -- one that people tend to either love or hate. Frank Sinatra reportedly loved orange, calling it "the happiest color."

I'm one of the haters, truth be told. It's one of the last colors I'd surround myself with at home, although I can appreciate it in other people's.

That's because lighting can nudge orange in some strange directions. The shade you love most on the paint chip is probably not the best one for your walls, especially if you want to paint all four (as opposed to a single accent wall). "A whole room will slap you around every time you walk into it," he says.

Tangerine is easier to pull off with crisp white accents. "With wood-colored woodwork, orange can be deadly," he says.