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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and embodies a widespread urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort within current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels 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 "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury