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For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

It represents the first time a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and embodies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others contend that presenting white as an ideal risks racial undertones, causing discomfort within ongoing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely 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 symbolize "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality signifies goodness".

The designer points to the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy 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 technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement 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 clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury