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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at 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 disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, 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 worth of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective desire to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid current political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury