In line with other calming and serene color trends for 2026, Pantone has introduced Cloud Dancer (PANTONE 11-4201) as the Pantone Color of the Year selection. The ethereal white hue was influenced by the need for quiet reflection in a chaotic society.
Signifying a fresh start, the hue encourages relaxation and focus while allowing the mind room for creativity and innovation.
“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 white 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.”
Providing a blank scaffolding for the color spectrum, Cloud Dancer allows room for personal expression in interiors. Pantone says the shade can adapt, harmonize, and create contrast, bringing a feeling of airiness to all environments, whether as a stand-alone statement or combined with other hues.
For interior design, Cloud Dancer presents a conscious state of simplification, encouraging true relaxation and quiet focus while providing a visual cleanliness that inspires well-being and lightness. Cloud Dancer can create a spa-like feeling in bathrooms and open and spacious aesthetic in the kitchen.
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“We are living in a transitional time where people are seeking truth, possibility, and a new way of living,” adds Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. “PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer is an airy white hue that exemplifies our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection—a liminal space that is a launchpad for creative expression—as individuals and communities are experimenting beyond traditional boundaries, opening the door to increased imagination and innovation.”
