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For many people who has spent a long time 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 year, the influential color company has designated a shade of white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It signifies the first time white has been picked 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 state of being" and signifies a widespread yearning to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes everyday individuals occupy.

Others argue that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease during current societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs 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 architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, 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 personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 refined neutrality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

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

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

Design expert 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 vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing 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 those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion 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 privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury