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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen 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 signifies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely 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 represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

Although it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"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 spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour 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 selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating 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 wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury