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Pantone COTY 2026: Cloud Dancer

Jan 19, 2026 | Posted in Trends | Share

Every year designers anticipate the Color of the Year announcement from Pantone, so I’m excited to share this year’s event!

Pantone Color of the Year for 2026 is a fluffy white called Cloud Dancer, illustrated by a woman with short dark hair, back turned to the camera, with her arms behind her as if blowing in the breeze. Her wide pant legs are catching the wind also, and fluffy white clouds surround her against a pale blue sky.
Image courtesy Pantone.com

From the Pantone website:

A Whisper of Tranquility and Peace in a Noisy World

“Introducing Pantone Color of the Year 2026, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer, a lofty white that serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection. A billowy white imbued with serenity, PANTONE 11-4201 Cloud Dancer encourages true relaxation and focus, allowing the mind to wander and creativity to breathe, making room for innovation.”

An all-white sofa with coordinating round and square throw pillows in white. The wall behind is white, with white wooden textured panels. Above the sofa is a faux cloud shape made of white cotton, and below the sofa floats a mist of white. White curtains cover the window to the right, with light filtering in.
Photo courtesy Joybird
3 different textured fabrics in a light turquoise blue by Joybird. The left is a chenille, the center is a smoother chenille with a random small dot pattern, and the right is a mohair-like velvet.
Fabric images courtesy Joybird

JOYBIRD – Curate your calm space

Pantone and Joybird have partnered to present a heavenly collection of furniture with serenity you can feel, plus several additional coordinating colors.

“Cultivating calm and relaxation, the exclusive Joybird x Pantone collaboration fulfills our longing for harmony at home with invitingly tactile fabrics that evoke serenity and inspire quiet reflection.”

Bed with a large unadorned window and 8 floating color panels with Pantone identifying information labeling them as Lemon King yellow, Nimbus Cloud grey, Raindrops on Roses pink, Cloud Dancer white, Ice Melt pale blue, Peach Dust peach, Almost Aqua green, and Orchid Tint purple. The wall behind the bed is white, and the bed has several of the colors used in the pillows and a throw blanket. The main bedspread is white. Smaller inset photo shows an archway looking into a living room with the same colors used on a modern L-shaped sofa in pale blue, a footrest in yellow, and a painting featuring all the pastel colors on a white wall. The flooring is white. Light streams in from a window to the far right. The text reads: Powdered Pastels - Pastel and neutral tones make compatible combinations to Cloud Dancer, offering subtle shifts in hue that are nuanced, pleasing, and understated.
Color palette and photos courtesy Pantone.com

Color Palette: Powdered Pastels

Cloud Dancer and powdered pastels reminds me of the 1980s, when pastels were everywhere. This is a more adult style, while retaining a sense of whimsy and fun.

I can’t wait to use these with some of my clients in 2026 – could it be YOU?

Kimball Starr designs gorgeous homes throughout the San Francisco Bay Area and Lake Tahoe. Contact her today for a consultation.

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