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For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of introspection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, messier homes the majority call home.

Additional critics propose that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

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

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

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

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

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert 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 prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury