'Cloud Dancer' to Claret: Eight paint colours that can easily transform your home

As Pantone announces its colour of 2026, a vanilla off-white, here's more on the reasoning behind the choice – and what other trending colours can help you achieve greater domestic bliss.

Pantone has spoken – and the colour of the year 2026 is… white. Or more specifically, Cloud Dancer, a vanilla-whipped, fluffy off-white that appears less like a colour trend and more like the inside of a marshmallow. But can an achromatic shade capture the global mood? Stephen Westland, professor of colour science, at the University of Leeds, isn't convinced. "The colour of the year is a gimmick to promote commercial interest," he says. "Although Pantone are the most well-known predictors, there are at least a dozen others who choose a colour of the year, and they all typically disagree."

Indeed, trend forecasters WGSN proclaimed teal their 2026 colour some time ago, while other design experts maintain earthy tones will be popular as the next year unfolds – none of which helps us decide what shade to paint our sitting room.

Cloud Dancer joins a long tradition of paint names that veer between quirky and absurd, a marketing strategy that has itself become an art form. Farrow & Ball have given us Dead Salmon, Elephant's Breath, Arsenic, and tasty classic Broccoli Brown. They're not alone: Benjamin Moore has Nacho Cheese, Dunn-Edwards Dangerous Robot, and the list gets stranger from there. Brands construct these abstract names because they're memorable and evocative, less about describing a colour and more about selling an atmosphere.

Pantone, however, stands by its whipped-white decision. "Cloud Dancer expresses our aspiration for a future free from toxicity and excess," Lee Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute, the global colour forecaster, tells the BBC. And in a world saturated with noise and hyper-connectivity, Pantone insists that blankness is the point, a clearing of the decks; a soft landing for overstimulated minds.

Colour shapes us more than we realise: lifting the blinds to an azure sky instead of slate-grey clouds can shift our outlook, while reaching for a pink jumper instead of black reveals more about our feelings than we intend.

And atmosphere and mood sit at the heart of any interior's palette. But does following the latest trend really guarantee domestic bliss? "Colour is a language. A way we express ourselves," Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute, tells the BBC. She says that selecting the colour of the year isn't about dictating trends but capturing "the subliminal global mood".

Pantone uses an army of "colour anthropologists" who analyse culture, fashion, art, film, travel and exhibitions, drawing insights and inspiration from the streets of cities including São Paulo, Tokyo, London and New York. And as 2025 draws to a close, their findings point to a world overwhelmed by constant noise and hyper-connectivity, and a collective shift towards serenity.

"We're living in a 24/7 hustle culture," she continues. "With stimuli coming at us from every direction, we're seeking relief and disconnection. Colours grow gentler, mirroring our desire for simplicity and authenticity."

So which hues offer the best route to interiors harmony?

Pantone

1. Cloud Dancer

Pantone's colour of the year Cloud Dancer conjures the image of white puffy clouds and is intended to induce feelings of expanse: "it invites us into a space where function and feeling are intertwined to build atmospheres of serenity and spaciousness," says Eiseman. Culturally, white is synonymous with new beginnings, bridal gowns and the blank white page a prelude to a new painting or poem.

It works as a visual refuge, the essence of clean linen fluttering in the wind. And Eiseman and Pressman agree that white is a timeless aesthetic, versatile enough to pair easily with pastels and the ultimate contrast for black. It's also a support for brighter hues, in essence providing, "a clean, modern base with room to play".

Mylands/ @thecountryhousediaries

2. Teal

"Teal is a hue that champions the importance of an Earth-first mindset," claim trend forecasters WGSN, who last year predicted teal as their colour of 2026. Their view is that this maritime hue reflects a desire to connect with tones found in nature. Gemma Riberti, their head of interiors, says that teal, at the intersection of green and blue, earth and ocean, "embodies restoration and escapism", all captured in a paint tin.

Dominic Myland, CEO of paint brand Mylands, agrees, adding, "blue-green hues will become more prominent as they are calming and easy to decorate with". This teal saturated bathroom is a case in point – the visual equivalent of an aquatic hug, the room is soaked by painting the walls, woodwork and ceiling in the same colour. "People are looking for colours that wrap around a room and create a sense of comfort," adds Myland.

Little Greene

3. Claret, bronze red and garnet 

Earthy red tones with their distinct rich hues continue to be popular, as the fruity burgundy and plums of 2025 are subtly reimagined. Reclaimed terracotta tiles on the floor of this dining room align with the drenching of the "bronze red" Little Greene paint on the walls and ceiling.

"Rich and comforting, aubergine and purple, brown tones are ideal for restful atmospheres," Ruth Mottershead, creative director at Little Greene, tells the BBC. "These colours provide a sophisticated alternative to traditional browns." Their sanguine tones dovetail neatly with the caramel notes from natural materials in the wooden table and floor lamp.

Mylands/ Beth Davis

4. Grey ochre

The shift to the simplicity of neutrals is evident in the sitting room of this listed Georgian home, in which a grey ochre paint from Mylands is paired with a limestone white on the ceiling. The pared-back tones ensure that the artworks and antique furniture stand out. "Let the textures do some of the work," advises interior designer Venetia Rudebeck, co-founder of Studio Vero. "There's a quiet nostalgia to the palettes people are gravitating towards", she tells the BBC, "1970s ceramics, old libraries, countryside tones, but used in a layered, modern way."

Earthborn

5. Ecru and Chestnut

The use of same-family palettes that share an undertone is trending, a look that is captured here with Earthborn's shades of creamy ecru and chestnut brown. "Creating a restorative interior starts with defining the mood," says Cathryn Sanders, head of creative at Earthborn Paints Sanders, "then layering upwards, a mid-tone on the walls, a lighter tint above, and a deeper shade on woodwork". Expect colour-capping, where ceilings or upper sections use a paler relation of the wall colour. On top of this, mixing finishes – matt walls with satin joinery – will add new depths.

Christian Bense/ Paul Whitbread

6. Peach, soft browns and cream

"Paint colours are a backdrop on which to layer, rather than the hero," says interior designer Christian Bense. "Mixing tones allows for a more organic styling of our homes." Bense chose a warm neutral brown in this Somerset cottage, Etruscan brown by Edward Bulmer, layered with peachy cream on the ceiling and a profusion of textures including cream curtains and lamp shades, along with a rust-covered sofa and Afghan rug.

Warm neutrals are popular, Sanders tells the BBC. "These comfort colours are shifting," she says. "What once meant beiges and blushes is expanding to include enveloping taupes, and complex mid-tone neutrals that bring emotional warmth without overwhelming a space."

Studio Vero/ Simon Brown

7. Mineral blue

Hues rooted in nature are at the forefront of colour schemes as we shift beyond the quarter century. Just as teal is currently popular, pale mineral blues are also resonating with designers and homeowners. "These tones feel deeply connected to nature," explains Rudebeck, "They bring a sense of ease." This project by Rudebeck depicts pale mineral blue walls, along with green accents in the décor to reflect the natural world.

Birdie Fortescue

8. Sage and jade green

Sage and jade greens continue to be popular, drawing on centuries of symbolism and history, from springtime renewal to the muted tones of Georgian interiors. Designer Birdie Fortescue sees this shift in her upcoming paint collaboration with Fenwick & Tilbrook, inspired by the muted landscapes of her native Norfolk. They are "calming tones" she says. "Use these colours to accentuate architectural details, that are often overlooked when left white."

More like this:

• Eight of the UK's cosiest thatched cottages

• How high-rise forests can transform city life

• Why UK countryside style has been big this year

So, whether you're tempted to go full Cloud Dancer, savour some Nacho Cheese, or drink in the richness of claret, one thing is clear, colour is never just decoration. It's mood, memory, and a little bit of levity. 

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