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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, 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 time around, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its flagship hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Some observers propose that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should spark joy 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 preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz 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, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury