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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and signifies a shared urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority call home.

Others contend that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style 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 different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, 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 uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury