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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by 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 time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been honored 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 embodies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Others argue that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, causing discomfort amid ongoing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality denotes virtue".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour 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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson 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."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury