🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

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

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, creating unease within continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may work in highly minimal 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 explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant 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 express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than stark".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "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 focus on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik 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 broader sentiment of "quiet luxury