🔗 Share this article

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

This year, the influential color company has designated white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within continuing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour 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 selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional 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 optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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 atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury