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For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality equals goodness".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can readily feel clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, 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 panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

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

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury