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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread desire to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals call home.

Some observers propose that presenting white as aspirational carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within ongoing societal conversations about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that impartiality denotes virtue".

The designer cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury