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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 longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective yearning to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have labelled the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals call home.

Others contend that presenting white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, stating that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

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

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels 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 express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this particular shade 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 "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful atmosphere".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets 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 vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend 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 different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury