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For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, 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 seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has chosen white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics propose that framing white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, noting that white holds societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep 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 show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels 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 "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury