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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

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

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

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

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels 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 ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz 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 "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways 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 unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, 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 cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury