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For anyone who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the value of introspection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and reflects a collective yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, causing discomfort within current societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this shade 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 express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade 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 "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", 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 background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If 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 problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury