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For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid ongoing political and cultural conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed 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 commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

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 not a top choice".

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

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

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 limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, 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 genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury