2026 Color of the Year
Last month, the Pantone Color Institute did what it does every December: it announced the Color of the Year for the upcoming 12 months. You might be surprised at how much the Institute’s announcement can impact the world around us; since 1999, it has informed trends in style and culture. At Altra Home Décor serving the greater Phoenix area, we love all things color, so we’re happy to break down this year’s decision—and what it might mean for you. Read on!
Pantone’s Cloud Dancer
This year, the Institute chose Cloud Dancer, which is, as it happens, a shade of white. Many people who watch color and trends were a bit shocked by the decision, in part because, as many people point out, white is the absence of color, which might imply that the institute hasn’t chosen a color at all. But Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, argues that the selection is like a blank canvas “opening up new avenues and ways of thinking.”
How the Color of the Year Is Chosen
Since 1999, Pantone has named a color of the year. To arrive at the selection each year, Pantone’s color experts at the Pantone Color Institute comb the world looking for new color inspirations from arenas including art, fashion, and design, as well as trends and socio-economic conditions. Influences could also stem from materials, textures, and technologies. The team weighs current climate, past behaviors, and past trends to reach a balance on what they expect the upcoming year to call for.
Why Cloud Dancer?
Pantone chose Cloud Dancer because it is a “lofty white neutral whose aerated presence acts as a whisper of calm and peace in a noisy world.” They added that the color is “a living calm that invites renewal, vision in serenity and creative release.” In fashion, you’re bound to see it in light fluffy feathers, soft poofs of fabric, and other airy materials. And once you start seeing it around, you’ll see it everywhere, including in the products from companies like Motorola, Play-Doh, Post-it, and more, which Pantone has collaborated with.
Adding the Color of the Year
Pantone says that Cloud Dancer “introduces a spa-like feeling into bathrooms and an open and spacious feeling in the kitchen” and that it pairs well with natural materials like wood and stone. Calling Cloud Dancer “a key structural color,” Eiseman notes that “this is a shade that can adapt, harmonize, and create contrast, bringing a feeling of airy lightness.” Laurie Pressman, VP of the Pantone Color Institute, notes that Cloud Dancer “exemplifies our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection,” making it a great addition to a home. If you’d like to add it to your space, consider pairing it with pops of color; for example, add fluffy throw pillows in Cloud Dancer and choose a window fashion like Silhouette® Sheer Shades to bring color to the space. Or bring the outdoors in with a more natural material like Provenance® Woven Wood Shades. For more ideas on your particular situation, be sure to contact one of our representatives today!
The Pantone Color of the Year in the Greater Phoenix and Peoria AZ Areas
Altra Home Decor is your source for window treatments, custom drapery, flooring, and more! We serve the greater Phoenix area, including Peoria, Sun City West, Glendale, and Scottsdale, with a showroom in Surprise. Stop by our locally owned store to view our full-size window treatment displays and sample books. Contact us today to schedule an in-home design consultation!
