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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 dreaming of 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 chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the importance of introspection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and reflects a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a turning point in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

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

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, 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 consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined rather than severe".

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 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 presents a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

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

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury