Pantone Just Announced Its 2026 Color of the Year—and You'll Never Guess What It Is

Warm, deep shades, such as rich reds and enveloping purples, dominated the 2025 Color of the Year news cycle. But Pantone is swinging the pendulum in the opposite direction for the upcoming year. Today, the brand announced PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer as its 2026 Color of the Year.

A departure from its 2025 selection, Mocha Mousse, Cloud Dancer is a balanced white that evokes feelings of serenity. According to the brand, this color serves as a blank canvas for homeowners and signifies the growing desire for a fresh start.

"At this time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is a discrete hue offering a promise of clarity," says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. "The cacophony that surrounds us has become overwhelming, making it harder to hear the voices of our inner selves. A conscious statement of simplification, Cloud Dancer enhances our focus, providing release from the distraction of external influences."

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This lofty white has a spa-like serenity that infuses rooms with a calming, quiet atmosphere. Its subtle warmth puts Cloud Dancer in a different caliber than stark whites, which often read as cold or sterile. "I believe this is more of a soft white. It isn't a pristine white or a technical white," Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, told decorvow.com. "It's a white that moves beyond crispness, towards something a little bit more organic and feeling."

While Cloud Dancer is a true neutral that has endless color-pairing opportunities, Pantone curated seven distinct palettes to accompany its 2026 Color of the Year.

• Powdered Pastels: Featuring delicate pastels, such as Lemon Icing and Peace Dust, this color palette is pleasing and understated.
• Take a Break: This playful palette features an array of colors named after various flavors, such as Pink Lemonade, Papaya, and Cocoa Creme, which Pantone says demonstrates Cloud Dancer's ability to tempt consumers to "taste a variety of hues."
• Atmospheric: Leaning into the airiness Cloud Dancer evokes, this palette features paint colors inspired by our atmospheric surroundings, with hues like Cosmic Sky and Dusky Citron.
• Comfort Zone: This palette demonstrates how organic Cloud Dancer can feel when paired with other earthy, warm shades, such as Rose Brown and Mountain Trail.
• Tropic Tonalities: Inspired by the tropics, this palette features bright, vibrant colors reminiscent of an ocean-side vacation. Cloud Dancer serves as the billowy, buoyant cloud in this tropical scene.
• Light & Shadow: Cloud Dancer seamlessly blends into this palette of softened hues and shadowy shades.
• Glamour & Gleam: A nod to Hollywood glamour, the white of Cloud Dancer beautifully contrasts against a deep black and vintage wine hue. The glitz is elevated by a glimmering graphite and silvery metallic.