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For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, reset and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality equals goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and refined 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 "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback 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, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury