Blank canvas or tone-deaf? Pantone's white Colour of the Year sparks backlash

For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of one day adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's 2026 Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, Pantone has chosen white as its colour of the year. 

More specifically, Cloud Dancer - a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection". 

It is the first time white has been chosen as the colour of the year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows. 

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a collective desire to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.