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For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Some observers contend that framing white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury