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For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at 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 personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes the majority occupy.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised 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 not a top choice".

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

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

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

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group 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 aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury