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For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia 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 influential color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during ongoing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality signifies goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired 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 "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

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

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 "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury