🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Some observers contend that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express 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, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness 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, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury