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For many people who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective urge to decelerate, reset and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes most people occupy.

Others contend that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, creating unease during continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

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

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

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

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily feel clinical at home," she explains.

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade feels quite removed from that."

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed 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 refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, 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 don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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 Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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