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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This year, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual 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 introspection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective yearning to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom 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 "affluence, control 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, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, 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 imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury