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For those who has spent years living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and reflects a shared yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Additional critics argue that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within current political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, stating that white carries cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality equals virtue".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

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

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express individuality.

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

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, 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 pick 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 benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury