Color Game : Cloud Dancer / 2026 Pantone Color of the Year
- kathleen
- 4 days ago
- 2 min read
Happy New Year! I can't wait to find out what you think about Pantone's Color of the Year. I've got to be honest, I'm at a loss this year. After years of writing about the annual Pantone Color, with 27 years of mostly "out there" colors, we find out the 2026 Color of the Year is white. Off-white, really. Cloud Dancer. In this stripped down London townhouse, "Cloude White" paint covers the room. Let's find out why this happened.
According to Pantone, "Cloud Dancer is soft, airy, and quietly luminous, more than a neutral—it’s a reset, a breath and a return to simplicity." Is it a hope that our rooms will become the opposite of what's outside?
"Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201), a lofty, billowy off-white chosen to symbolize calm, quiet reflection, and new beginnings in a fast-paced world, marking the first time Pantone has selected a shade of white as its Color of the Year. This neutral, serene color serves as a blank canvas, inviting focus and creativity by offering a sense of peace and a fresh start," according to Pantone. Whew!
Cloud Dancer looks beautiful on textured walls.
Cloud White is a fine counterpart to beautiful neutrals.
And doesn't it look beautiful with primary color accents?
If you're a complete color nerd like me, Pinterest shows Cloud Dancer next to other popular whites. You can see they are different but depending of the light in the room, could they look the same on walls?
The Pantone Color of the Year is considered THE color inspiration of the year for clothing&makeup to interior design to office products. Even Play-Doh. I'm pretty excited about the Post-it® Color Collection 3M coming this spring as Cloud Dancer will be included. According to Pantone, "Cloud Dancer blends calm and clarity, creating a grounded canvas for daydreams big and small. Perfect for those of us who live in neutral rooms." So maybe a clean and calm color is OK for the color of what promises to be a busy and unpredictable year. In the meantime, enjoy your Sunday!
PS ~ On Christmas Day morning, I spied a spectacular rainbow out my windows. I wondered if my mom, who died twenty years ago that day, was sending me a message.
Yesterday, January 3rd, I was keeping a look out for another rainbow as it marked the 4th anniversary of P's passing. In the late afternoon, I couldn't believe my eyes - it was faint but there it was. Did P send me a message? I must confess seeing that rainbow made me feel like I was getting a big hug from him. XOX
For more on Pantone's color of the year :
