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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and signifies a collective desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease within ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially 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 backdrop for architectural details like wall molding 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.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "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, particularly during ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury