Podcast Summary: How to Decorate – Bonus Episode: Our Thoughts on Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year

Hosts: Caroline (A), Taryn (B), Liz (C)
Date: December 12, 2025
Subject: The Pantone 2026 Color of the Year, "Cloud Dancer" (a.k.a., white!)

Overview

In this lively bonus episode, Caroline, Taryn, and Liz from Ballard Designs dissect Pantone’s controversial 2026 Color of the Year, "Cloud Dancer," an airy white shade. The team discusses their personal reactions, the broader design and marketing implications, and whether Pantone’s selection holds any real influence in the world of interior design.

Key Discussion Points

1. Initial Reactions and the “Wow” (or Not) Factor

Timestamps: 00:34–02:54

• Caroline, Taryn, and Liz recall last year’s "Mocha Moose," sharing how it was interesting if not altogether surprising, but all agree that "Cloud Dancer" takes subtlety to a new—and possibly boring—extreme.
• Taryn reads a blurb summarizing the online discourse:

  "Cloud Dancer 114201, a soft, airy white, has generated mixed reactions, with many finding it surprisingly subtle compared to past choices, symbolizing peace, clarity, and a fresh start amid global upheaval..." (02:17)

2. Opinions on Pantone's Choice and Purpose of Color of the Year

Timestamps: 02:54–05:47

• Taryn’s Hot Take:

  “I would rather hate someone’s design esthetic, but they have a design esthetic … This is like having no point of view. This is like not decorating … Pantone, you are known for color. Don’t give us white.” (03:13)

• Liz’s Artistic Angle:

  “I really feel like it was boring. It’s not meh. It’s not mid. It’s an all-out miss. … Why do we have a color of the year? … It’s a timestamp … to look at where we are right now and propel us into the future. This is not propelling me anywhere.” (04:39)

• Caroline expresses skepticism about the whole concept:

  “Does anyone actually remember what the color of the year was from, like, 2016? … I just feel like this is a marketing ploy by Pantone.” (06:01)

3. The Influence and Validity of Pantone’s Choice: “Rage Bait”?

Timestamps: 06:36–09:39

• Caroline wonders if picking such an uncontroversial color is actually a move to generate buzz:

  “Is this Cloud Dancer rage bait? … People are now—like pop culture people—are talking about it, more than just designers.” (06:36)

• Liz and Taryn debate whether Pantone’s choices are really predictive or simply random, and discuss how white as a pick feels odd considering Pantone’s legacy.

4. White as Canvas: Meaning or Marketing?

Timestamps: 08:58–13:51

• Caroline questions the forced narrative of white as “inspiring” or “a canvas for creativity,” while both Taryn and Liz insist it’s bland and uninspiring.
• Notable opinions:
  • “I saw it as blah.” (Caroline, 08:58)
  • “White is almost like … don’t have an emotion. … I hate that, too.” (Taryn, 12:03)
  • “It’s felt so … empty, bleak. Bleak.” (Caroline, 13:52)

5. Industry Comparison: Other Paint Company Choices

Timestamps: 14:10–15:57

• They note how other brands (Benjamin Moore and Sherwin-Williams) are leaning into rich, earthy tones for 2026, making Pantone’s white even more of an outlier.
• Discussion about the continuing trend toward artisan, organic, and tactile finishes in interior design and how white sits counter to that momentum.

6. Will ‘Cloud Dancer’ Influence Design?

Timestamps: 16:27–19:37

• The consensus is no—white is so foundational that its prominence is status quo, not transformative.
  • “If you are launching a product, white is your default color.” (Caroline, 18:23)
  • “There’s always a white option because it’s for people who can’t decide a color.” (Taryn, 18:16)
• Jokes about Pantone selling “white Post-It notes” and mugs as branded merchandise.

7. Memorable Moments & Quotes

• Liz:

  “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?” (18:30)

• Taryn:

  “Pantone deaf.” (Comment reference, 20:36)

• Caroline:

  “I maintain that this is rage bait.” (20:54)

Notable Quotes & Moments with Timestamps

• Taryn on Brand Identity:

  “Pantone, you are known for color. Don’t give us white.” (03:27)

• Liz on Cultural Impact:

  “Why do we have a color of the year? … It’s a timestamp … to look at where we are right now and propel us into the future. This is not propelling me anywhere.” (04:39)

• Caroline on Marketing Perspective:

  “It makes no difference. … This is a marketing ploy by Pantone.” (06:04)

• Liz on Product Tie-ins:

  “They’re selling white post-it notes … They’re selling white paper.” (18:30)

• Closing Reflection:

  “I don’t think that it’s really going to affect anything. Then the conversation for the next week.” (Liz, 19:07)

Key Segment Timestamps

| Segment | Time | |------------------------------------------------|-----------| | Introduction & Mocha Moose reflection | 00:34–01:40 | | Cloud Dancer reveal & reactions | 01:41–04:03 | | On Pantone’s reputation and the marketing behind white | 05:47–06:36 | | Cultural meaning of the Color of the Year and “rage bait” | 06:36–09:39 | | Forced inspiration narrative for white | 08:58–13:51 | | Comparison with industry color trends | 14:10–15:57 | | The practical reality of white in design | 16:27–19:37 | | Memorable quotes, jokes, and wrap-up | 18:30–21:05 |

Tone and Language

The episode is conversational and playful, with a generous dose of sarcasm, especially about the marketing antics of Pantone. The hosts’ camaraderie shines through as they honestly critique the decision, trade industry insights, and laugh at the absurdity of "white" being a "Color of the Year." The tone remains critical, witty, and candid throughout.

Conclusion

The Ballard Designs team finds Pantone’s 2026 choice of "Cloud Dancer" uninspired, baffling, and possibly engineered to provoke debate (or “rage bait”). While recognizing Pantone’s legitimate industry influence as a color standard, the hosts argue that white is too safe—and too omnipresent—to make any impact. The real takeaway: Sometimes picking “no color” is the boldest (and most controversial) statement a color company can make.

For design pros and enthusiasts alike, this episode offers a fun, honest look at both the cynicism and real-world utility behind Color of the Year declarations.