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For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It signifies the first time white has been chosen 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 mindset" and reflects a widespread urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers argue that positioning white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality signifies virtue".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read 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 create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", 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 chosen as it "works seamlessly 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 become a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

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

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas 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 James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, 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 "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, 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.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion 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 advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury