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For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of stillness".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a widespread urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics argue that framing white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more 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, shaping 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 seem basic, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, 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 wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury