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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

This time around, the renowned color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of stillness".

It signifies the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, creating unease within continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, arguing that white bears societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury