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For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Some observers contend that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid continuing societal conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

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

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

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

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant 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 individuality.

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 sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, 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 hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than stark".

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

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer Another professional 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 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 "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

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

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury