Bonus Episode: Our Thoughts on Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year

0:02Welcome to How to Decorate from Ballard Designs, a weekly podcast all about the trials and triumphs of decorating and redecorating your home. I'm Caroline. I'm on the marketing team. And I'm Taryn, and I'm a product designer. I'm Liz. I head of the creative team. We're your hosts. Join the expert team at Ballard Designs for tips, tricks, and tales from interior designers, stylists, and other talents in the design world. Plus, we'll answer your decorating dilemmas at the end of each episode. We love answering your questions, so don't forget to email us at podcast at ballardesigns.net. Now on with the show.

0:34Okay, today we are going to be talking about Pantone's Color of the Year. Taryn was like, we have to get on mic and discuss. So that is what we're doing. Okay, so I called this very important podcast because there has been lots of talk about Pantone's Color of the Year. And I think we all get very excited to see what the drop is. I mean, who was excited for Mocha Moose last year? I liked it. I can't say that it's on my calendar and I know that it's coming, but when it is announced, I am interested. Right. It's kind of like the Spotify end of the year playlist. It's like one of those things like it comes around at the end of the year and it's exciting and it's like, ooh, okay, something to talk about.

1:17Yeah. And I loved Mocha Moose. I did. I think it was a little bit of a slow burn for me, and I had to really kind of evaluate it. But it was a really good kind of complex tone color. I liked Mocha Mousse. I felt like it was a color we had already been seeing a lot of. So it didn't feel, I was like, yeah, duh, I like this. Yeah. I mean, it was like as if mauve had a baby with brown, and they were just like, here's this color that is ambiguous, which we love how those are so hard to describe. You're like, what is the undertone? Is it a brown with a pink undertone? What's happening here? You're just like, we love those colors and crave them in our homes.

2:00We talk about it all the time on here. And so this year, for those of you who haven't heard, the color of the year is Cloud Dancer. Cloud Dancer. Cloud Dancer. The Cloud Dancer. It's white. It's not even like a nuanced white. Mm-mm. I looked up to see what was written on the interweb, what Gemini was going to serve me, what it says, just so that everyone knows. Cloud Dancer, 11-4201, a soft, airy white, has generated mixed reactions, with many finding it surprisingly subtle compared to past bold choices, symbolizing peace, clarity, and a fresh start amid global upheaval. Though some critics see it as bland or even elitist, sparking debate about its true meaning and impact, even as Pantone emphasizes its versatility and role as a canvas for creativity with accompanying palettes.

2:49And that's what the internet said. Okay, go. What's your hot take? What was your, like, reaction? I want you to go first, Taryn, because you're the one that pays the most or is the most focused on predictions. And not only do you, you know, you do all of the predictions from all the companies. From fashion to paint colors to products. You're watching it all. So for me, this color is, and you guys will get this, I would rather hate somebody's design aesthetic, but they have a design aesthetic. Does that make sense? like get like you have a point of view and even though it's I don't share it I love it because you have a point of view this is like having no point of view this is like not decorating this was like I somebody was like oh this is uh builder grade white or something like that and I was like That's what it feels like.

3:46It's like, and I can see Pantone's point of like clarity and a blank canvas. But we look, Pantone, you are known for color. Color. Don't give us white. Okay, that was mine. Liz, what about you? Because you also are very color focused because of your artistic roots and your graphic design. Because as a graphic designer, I've got to say, I love, love color. And, you know, there's nothing, honestly, in anything that I do that brings me more joy than creating a color palette. True. And creating a color palette for, yeah, Taryn and I. If you even mention a project to Liz that includes color, she is there.

4:35I get getting it. Yeah. She has dropped what she's doing. And she's coming with her. I'm on a deadline and I've dropped it. Don't tell Karen. You know, but no, it really brings me joy. So I really feel like it was boring. It's not meh. It's not mid. It's an all-out miss. It's an all-out miss. I mean, that's my take. It feels like, you know, and it makes me think back to, okay, why do we care, right? Why do we have a color for of the year, right? And to me, and I don't know if Pantone agrees with me on this, but for me, it's like a way to tap into where we are as a culture, where we are as people, where we are as a community right now.

5:30And like, what's the zeitgeist? What's happening? It's a timestamp. And maybe, yeah, it's a timestamp. You know, it kind of takes a look at where we are right now and propels us into the future. This is not propelling me anywhere. Where are you, Caroline? Yeah. Let's hear it. Where are you on the spectrum of white? The white headphones, just so we're clear, and wearing like a shade of white. It's blue. Is it? It's cloud blue. It's a light blue. That is true. That is blue. It is beautiful. No, I actually do love white, but I hate this color of the year. But I am more of the like Andy from Devil Wears Prada wear.

6:10Oh, yeah. Who cares? I don't know. What's the point of all this? Does anyone actually remember what the, you probably, maybe you do remember what the color of the year was from like 2016, but I don't see how Pantone's color of the year makes any difference or effect on things. Now, I will say, I do think Mocha Mousse was a color, and I think in design, we saw a lot of earthy colors. It wasn't just Mocha Mousse, but it was a direction that I thought was reflective of where style and design was going. And there have been outliers. I looked back at all the previous colors of the year. I love it. Where I thought, oh, okay.

6:52I remember like Radiant Orchid. That one was a real, to me that actually did, was a moment. But there are a lot where I was like, oh, I don't even remember this. That meant to nothing. So, but, okay. What is truly the point of the Pantone color of the year? Maybe I am ignorant to how influential this is. And you can be the Miranda Priestly that says, you know, that blue was picked by me and Vogue, you know, whatever her thing is. But I just feel like this is a marketing ploy by Pantone. It makes no difference. And I also wanted to use another of the year thing, which is the word of the year, which apparently is rage bait, according to Merriam-Webster.

7:37And I was wondering, is this cloud dancer Rage Bait from Pantone to get everyone to talk about it and get a bigger reach? Because no one usually talks about the Pantone color of the year, but people are now. Like pop culture, people are talking about it more than just designers, maybe. So I don't know. What is y 'all's take on that? I think this all speaks to, one, the power of color. Is that we're all talking about it. And we all have a reaction. you know um even if that reaction is not to have a reaction like it's it's just but and i was looking back too and and a lot of those colors didn't resonate with me too and so it kind of feels like okay is this really just a shot in the dark but you know and why are we listening to pantone and pantone is all about you know precision matching whether it's in fashion or interiors or graphics and and you know it and they are a leader in in color but like but yeah the colors I feel that have been picked in previous years kind of have felt like a shot in the dark you know and so this is I just feel like this is so weird just to pick a white well what's for me You know, they had a bunch of artists and creatives talking about white and where they get inspiration from.

9:07And it just felt forced because I suppose in some world I could see where, you know, white could be inspiring because it's creating opportunity for something else. But that was a real stretch for me. And I just see white as I saw it as blah, like you, Taryn, just like and both of y 'all like just why do we care what we're doing? Pantone things. This makes no difference. This is rage bait to try to get people to comment and expand their marketing reach. Well, you also are, of course, coming from the marketing standpoint, which is why this is such a beautiful conversation that most people wouldn't have.

9:46And I'm sure anyone listening is like, why are we talking about this? You know, Pantone is just this international language for product development. So it is something that we do every day. So they do lead in that example because every vendor we work with has a Pantone book. So when we say we want this color, they know exactly what color we want. So it is in a way of communication that I use all the time. We do a lot of color prediction seminars and different things and we learn about where colors are headed. And I think for me, it's almost like it doesn't matter what it is like it's always like rage bait if you're like if you want to like in a way there is you cannot please everyone we all if you look at our different homes the colors we gravitate towards they're all different and that's a good thing so Pantone's never going to get it right the same way that Bears color of the year and Benjamin Moore's color of the year but what's interesting to me is Pantone just isn't just a wall color and it's not just a fashion color so I think that's why they take a little more weight and it definitely of course i mean it is what the industry i'm in but i think just not choosing to me is like that is what makes this the biggest or like i think that's what it feels like it feels like not choosing you didn't if you wanted to pick something that had that same effect if you needed something calming cleansing we could have gone There are lots of shades.

11:24There are so many shades we could talk about. We could talk about the warm, like a beautiful blue. They've done blue through years. Like, let's pick a different blue. Like, to your point, white? And at that, it's like a, and you use these little Pantone chips, you know, like that's, we send them to vendors and we chop them up and we use them and we hand them out. and to think that this is the same color as the background that it is printed on, because what do you print on? White. And I was like, this is so, you literally were like, here's a piece of paper. Is there really ink on that paper? Yeah, that's what it feels like.

12:03And lastly, and to your point, Caroline, white is, I could see the opportunity thing, but we have talked endlessly about how your mood changes if you are trapped in a room in a color. That is aggressive. Or how your mood changes with red around you. And how your mood. But like white is also this like. It's almost like they're like don't have an emotion. You know what I mean? And I hate that too. Yeah. So. I kind of saw it. And it felt very. And this was before I read their reasoning behind it. And it felt almost. To me I took more of a futuristic. thing from it where it was like they were talking about white as um serenity and peace and inspiration and creativity and i saw it and thought more of you know sort of okay there's ai and like more of this futuristic sort of emptiness and i guess kind of bleakness about it initially like when I first saw it, not in a good way, right?

13:17And then I read their reasoning and I thought, oh, there's so many other colors that would have, to your point, Taryn, reflected this in a, reflected the words they're saying in a better way. I, for my own self, appreciated the earthiness of Mocha Moose in that that was something that I was, that was resonating for me in this past year and still does, you know, sort of a nostalgia, like some of those nostalgic colors are more earthy and more real and organic. And I really liked that about it. So that was what, where my offense was to the cloud white. It's felt so, um, yeah, empty, bleak, and sort of, uh, like bleak.

13:59That's the best word. And, um, almost like, uh, what's the opposite of organic, like manufactured. Yeah. You know, in a way that I'd be. Artificial. Artificial, yeah. And so I was, that's where I especially felt a real mismatch in the words they were saying and the color that they chose. Interestingly enough, did you see the Benjamin Morris color of the year is like a super dark brown. And Sherwin-Williams has a khaki. Like everything's kind of in every other color predictor that I've seen. And Taryn, you're on even more than I am. But they've all been kind of these rich, rich tones, like either leaning into jewel tones or earthy tones.

14:48So it just seems really counter to everything else that I've been seeing, experiencing, seeing out in the world. Well, and artisanal has been such a thing, too. Like this kind of, again, going back to organic and getting back to roots and things that are handmade and this desire and need for tangible surfaces. And I think, again, white doesn't allow that. White's like, to your point, it's a very clean, even if you've picked a little bit of a warmer as they have. But this is why I laugh too, is like, it's an 1100 color. That's where they start. Like, meaning like, it's the least color of their colors.

15:30And you're just like, and not that again, white isn't, because we scrutinize white all day at work. Like, you can get white real wrong. And we talk about the undertones of white a lot. but white is what you choose when you can't when you don't know what to choose my living room has white cabinets because I truly was like I have picked so much that I cannot decide like I need I just have to rest well not since it was a blank canvas for you because you picked white knowing no I hate it but yeah you're right but you but you picked it knowing this will change eventually Maybe if you look at it that way.

16:09Yeah. I mean, that's what I did when I moved into my house, too. I painted everything, all the walls, all the ceilings white. And now I'm layering in color, layering in color. But again, you don't go to a color service, again, that that's the one thing they do and not give us color. Well, they did what they were supposed to do, which is enrage you, Taryn. I can tell by your face that you're so annoyed. Oh. Oh, OK. Here's my question. Do we think that this matters? Do we think that this will steer interior design in any sort of which way? No, because white is still the safe color, in my opinion.

16:48Like if you think about when they talk about neutrals and I think khaki, we've seen the brown kind of come back. Gray hasn't fully made its way back. But we all remember gray was the white of its time, too. Right. So in my opinion, white we're already using. Like white kitchens are still beautiful, relevant. It's all about the details. You spend a lot of money on the stone with color now. Or white bathrooms still seen as clean, sterile. Like you know what I mean? There is a bleach factor to this that like you understand. But I don't know if it will change interiors. I think Pantone just, it's like they didn't decide.

17:33So I don't think this is steering the show. Okay, but they so did decide because they have worked on this for so long. And they have so many partnerships with Joybird to get your white sofa. And with Pura to get a scent. And there's even white Play-Doh that they offer on their website. Liz is like, no, no. From a business standpoint, they've been working on white for a long time. They've been working on this for a long time. What do you think, Liz? Do you think this will just like direct? Well, because there's so many industries that use color, though. Right. And they all have a white option already.

18:08Do you see what I'm saying? It's not like they're not driving any ship. If you want socks that are white, if you want a white sofa, if you want a white water bottle, there's always the white option because it's for people who can't decide a color. That's such a good point, Darren, that I never thought of where if you were launching a product, white is your default color. I mean, it's ours, too. They're selling white Post-it notes that they're calling Cloud Dancer on the Pantone website. Can we just acknowledge that they're selling white paper? You know they had to laugh when they were doing that.

18:43Like, they're just sitting around laughing, too. Like, they're selling a white mug and being like, because I used to collect the mug every year. Oh, I love the mugs. Well, it's a white mug. It's a freaking white mug. I'll get it for you. And then I'm going to color it. Okay. Sorry, I interrupted you a little for your answer to Taryn's question. What was the question? Just whether you think it'll change interiors. I don't think that it's really going to affect anything than the conversation for the next week. It was like they wanted a pass. It was like instead of saying we're not doing color of the year, they just were like, what if we did white?

19:19And then we don't have to make a decision. Everybody just wanted to go and do it. That's why they were like, hey, we have these white post-it notes and these white mugs that haven't. Yeah. There's no logo. That we haven't printed yet. Should we just maybe use these? Yeah. We had back stock. We're over inventoried in white. So let's just get ready. Guys, 2026 Ballard will be white. Get ready. No. We're doing all white sofas, white chandeliers, white, white, white. In performance fabrics only. Well, yes, you should not have anything in white except unless it's performance.

19:55Well, thanks for this topic with me. I just, I didn't know the. Yeah, it was like an emergency pod session. We needed to do it. We need to do this more often. Yes, I will give you more emergency pod content when it comes up. But this was one I felt like we would all have an opinion on. So I appreciate it. Yeah. And I know others will too. So I cannot wait to hear what others, like, I hope people respond to us and let us know too. I went deep in some Reddit threads before this just to kind of like. I've been living in the comments for the last. I was intentionally trying to avoid the the dissertations on it because I wanted to isolate my thoughts.

20:36I think I'm going to share my favorite comment. I have no idea which post I saw it on or where it came from. But someone just said that they were Pantone deaf. And I was like, yep. Yep. that's my winning comment. I think they missed the mark. I maintain that this is rage bait. I like that we all, yeah. And I'm just raging. So it all, like, this all checks out a lot. All right. Thanks for calling us to session. This was great. And that's our show. You can find all of the show notes on our blog, howtodecorate.com slash podcast. To send in a decorating dilemma, email your questions to podcast at ballarddesigns.net so we can help you with your space.

21:20And of course, be sure to follow us on social media at Ballard Designs. Don't forget to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you never miss an episode. And please leave us a review. We'd love to hear your feedback. Until next time, happy decorating!