🔗 Share this article

For many people 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 feel like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others propose that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends aesthetics, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

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

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey 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 suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she clarifies.

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging 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 particular shade seems soft 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 peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, 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 familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist 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