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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

It signifies the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Some observers argue that presenting white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

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

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

"Overnight they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-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 structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

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

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

Contrary 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, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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 benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury