Pantone introduces Cloud Dancer as the Color of the Year 2026, selecting a billowy, pared-back white that reflects a collective push toward clarity, rest, and reset. Amid the rush of a hyper-accelerated world, the hue stands in for a blank canvas, a moment of suspension where old frameworks fall away, and new ideas can surface. 

‘We are currently at a precipice, a time of transformation, when we are reimagining our future and our place in the world,’ Laurie Pressman, vice-president of the Pantone Color Institute, tells designboom, reflecting on why the shade feels particularly timely now. ‘Cloud Dancer inspires us to recalibrate how we engage with those around us, to think above the clouds and open our minds to different approaches. It speaks of our desire to live in a world that’s balanced, kind, and deeply human. And just like with any new beginning or blank slate, Cloud Dancer reminds us that the future belongs to each one of us and it is ours to fill intentionally, and with a clear sense of purpose.’

all images courtesy of Pantone

a gesture toward contentment and unity

Described as a balanced white carrying a feeling of serenity, Cloud Dancer symbolizes the need for a fresh start. Pantone, the global color authority and provider of professional color standards, frames this shift as a conscious move toward peeling away outmoded habits, stepping back from relentless demands, and making room for reflection. In this reading, the soft, airy tone becomes a gesture toward contentment, unity, and a future defined less by excess and more by measured intention.

In conversation with designboom, Laurie Pressman deepens this perspective, noting that beyond the themes of reset and clarity, Cloud Dancer taps into a collective leaning toward neutral color. ‘It’s a true neutral white with an equal balance of warm and cool undertones, giving it the versatility we’re looking for both in our choices for apparel and in our homes,’ she tells us. ‘It is an uncomplicated, clearly definitive color that is intuitively understood and attainable.’ When asked what kind of future this hue might gesture toward, Pressman describes Cloud Dancer as expressing our aspiration for a future free from toxicity and excess, adding that it resonates with a growing longing for ‘contentment and harmony, and the feeling of peace, unity, and cohesiveness it engenders.’

Cloud Dancer is the Pantone Color of the Year 2026

artist-led initiative highlights the power of simplicity

To underscore the hue as an open field for creativity, Pantone pairs the announcement with a new artist-focused initiative. The institute will spotlight limited-edition works by artists across design disciplines, each interpreting Cloud Dancer through their own visual language. The first collaboration is with illustrator and visual artist Emiliano Ponzi, who has created a limited-edition tote bag that translates the 2026 Color of the Year into his distinctive mix of conceptual clarity and graphic precision.

‘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 hue offering a promise of clarity,’ says Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director 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.’ Laurie Pressman, adds, ‘Cloud Dancer is an airy white hue that exemplifies our search for balance between our digital future and our primal need for human connection… opening the door to increased imagination and innovation.’

a billowy, pared-back white

reflecting a collective push toward clarity, rest, and reset

the hue stands in for a blank canvas

Cloud Dancer symbolizes the need for a fresh start

project info:

name: Cloud Dancer, Color of the Year 2026

company: Pantone | @pantone

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Pantone announces its eagerly awaited Color of the Year 2025: PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse, a soft brown shade that embodies the warmth and indulgence of the simple pleasures in life. Inspired by the textures of cacao, chocolate, and coffee, this progression from last year’s Peach Fuzz signals an evolution in the wish for comfort, moving into a more grounded dimension.

‘Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, Mocha Mousse expresses thoughtful indulgence,’ says Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute. ‘A flavorful brown shade, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse envelopes us with its sensorial warmth.’ Described as a ‘warming rich brown hue,’ Mocha Mousse reflects a growing global need for balance, comfort, and a deeper connection to nature. In a world-first partnership, the unveiling will be marked by a light show on the London Eye, bathing the London skyline in the tones of Mocha Mousse, Pantone’s color of the year 2025.

images courtesy of Pantone

global celebrations for the 26th anniversary of the initiative

This year marks the 26th anniversary of Pantone’s Color of the Year initiative, and for the first time, the celebration will span multiple global cities, including New York, Shanghai, and Mumbai. Events and installations will allow the public to experience the color in imaginative and interactive ways, making it accessible to people across the world.

The unveiling at the London Eye is just the first stop in Pantone’s worldwide tour. Tonight, the London Eye will be illuminated in Mocha Mousse, creating a stunning visual representation of the hue’s warmth.

‘The everlasting search for harmony filters through into every aspect of our lives including our relationships, the work we do, our social connections and the natural environment that surrounds us.’ adds Laurie Pressman, vice president of the Pantone Color Institute. ‘With that in mind, for Pantone Color of the Year 2025 we look to a color that progresses our embrace of the feeling of our Pantone Color of the Year Peach Fuzz into another dimension, extending further into our desire for comfort, and the indulgence of simple pleasures that we can gift and share with others.’

Color of the Year 2025: PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse

this soft brown shade embodies the indulgence of the simple pleasures in life

inspired by the textures of cacao, chocolate, and coffee

the progression from last year’s Peach Fuzz signals an evolution in the need for comfort

Mocha Mousse reflects a growing global need for balance, comfort, and a deeper connection to nature

described as a ‘warming rich brown hue’

this year marks the 26th anniversary of Pantone’s Color of the Year initiative

events and installations will allow the public to experience the color in imaginative and interactive ways

the celebration will span multiple global cities, including New York, Shanghai, and Mumbai

moving into a more grounded dimension

project info:

name: Mocha Mousse, Color of the Year 2025

company: Pantone | @pantone

The post pantone picks mocha mousse as its color of the year 2025 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Following Viva Magenta for 2023, Veri Peri for 2022, and Ultimate Gray and Illuminating for 2021, Pantone has announced that its Color of the Year for 2024 is… Peach Fuzz! Of course, the hue evokes the fruit’s sweetness and velvety softness — as the color experts put it, 13-1023 Peach Fuzz’s ‘all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and heart.’

images by PANTONE

pantone’s peachy prediction for the spirit of 2024

The team at Pantone, the global authorities on color, describes the spirit of its peachy selection for Color of the Year 2024: ‘A warm and cozy shade highlighting our desire for togetherness with others and the feelings this creates, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz presents a fresh approach to a new softness. Subtly sensual… it is a heartfelt peach hue bringing a feeling of tenderness and communicating a message of caring and sharing, community and collaboration. Highly suggestive of good taste, PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz is a gift to the senses, creating a symbiotic relationship between our sense of taste, sight, touch, and scent.’

Peach Fuzz is Pantone’s Color of the Year 2024

The soothing peach hue can be found softly in the space between pink and orange. Here, Peach Fuzz inspires ‘belonging, recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing.’ It may bring calmness, a spirit of healing and empathy. Leatrice Eiseman, Executive Director at Pantone Color Institute, comments: ‘In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless.’

the soothing peach hue can be found softly in the space between pink and orange

Pantone’ Peach Fuzz is inspired by the essence of belonging, recalibration, and an opportunity for nurturing

Pantone’s Peach Fuzz may bring calmness, a spirit of healing and empathy.

Pantone calls Peach Fuzz as a shade that resonates with compassion

Peach Fuzz is Pantone’s Color of the Year 2024

the color is a warm and cozy shade highlighting one’s desire for togetherness

the hue evokes the fruit’s sweetness too

Meet Peach Fuzz, Pantone’s Color of the Year 2024

project info:

name: Peach Fuzz, Color of the Year 2024

company: Pantone

The post pantone selects ‘peach fuzz’ as color of the year 2024 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Welcome to the NYCxDesign 2023, the annual week-long festival celebrating design innovation in New York City. A hub of fashion and furniture to architecture and technology, the city one of the most important creative hubs in the world. Each May, designers, architects, and art lovers step out to attend events and exhibitions to explore the latest furniture and interiors trends, discover emerging talent, and tune into current discourse on architecture and urbanism. Ahead of the festival, held this year from May 18th — 25th, designboom rounds up some of the must-see city-wide events and exhibitions. Be sure to follow along as we take a closer look!

image © Jason Briscoe

Ron Arad solo exhibition at Opera Gallery

image courtesy Opera Gallery

 

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

Early Patterns: Reintroducing Akari of the 1950s

image courtesy The Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum

Pratt Shows: Design is an eagerly anticipated yearly event that celebrates the talent and hard work of exceptional graduating students from the School of Design, School of Architecture, and School of Art at Pratt Institute‘s bucolic Brooklyn campus. This annual exhibition showcases a wide range of innovative and cutting-edge design work, providing a platform for graduates to display their creativity and hard-earned skills. This exhibition offers a unique and diverse presentation of what’s next in design, highlighting emerging trends, techniques, and visions from talented graduates.

The design shows will be on view at the ARC building in Pratt Institute from May 11th — 17th.

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

Sony and furniture brand Stellar Works will collaborate to present ‘STAYDREAM — a surreal reality’ during NYCxDESIGN. Stellar Works will team up with Sony Design to showcase a series of conceptual pieces in an immersive environment that blends space, furniture, and technology to create a sensory and storytelling experience. The exhibition will focus on bringing the outdoors inside by highlighting the ambiance of nature within interior spaces. ‘This project aims to convey and unveil new forms of user experience, sensing techniques and human interaction, exemplifying the coexistence of physical and meta realities,’ writes the team.

The exhibition will be held at Stellar Works’ New York showroom at 304 Canal Street from May 18th — 25th.

image courtesy Sony Design

MUJI IS

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

Galerie Philia exhibition

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

Open Studio at Ottra

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

Soho Design Day

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

/ c–Home / Gallery /

image courtesy LOT-EK

Architecture Now: New York, New Publics

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

MAGENTAVERSE

The installation will show at ARTECHOUSE NYC at 439 W 15th St from May 18th — May 29th. Find tickets here.

image courtesy ARTECHOUSE

WEST CHELSEA BY DIMORESTUDIO

Dimorestudio, Skinny Bench | image courtesy Artemest

The Thick Skin: Cork in the Constructed Environment

image courtesy Parsons School of Design

Design Talk with photographer Iwan Baan

The talk will be held at 1014 Space for Ideas, 1014 5th Ave, on May 19th at 6:30pm — register for free here.

Beinecke Library Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, SOM | image © Iwan Baan

ECOPHILIA

image courtesy Available Items

the beauty of black and white

image courtesy Rottet Collection

IFDA Japan Fair

IFDA, the International Furnishings and Design Association, will be holding a Japan Fair to mark the occasion. The event will feature artisans from our Japan Chapter and will include a series of seminars highlighting architectural preservation (Minka), and demonstrating traditional ikebana floral design, calligraphy, ceramics, the art of tea, and the development and design influences of Chinoiserie.

The seminars will be held between three locations on Lexington Ave on May 20th, May 22nd, and May 23rd — see the full list of events here.

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

ICFF + Wanted design manhattan

image courtesy NYCxDESIGN

The post all the must-see events and exhibitions during NYCxDESIGN 2023 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

Artificial intelligence and the metaverse have influenced the creative industries this year more than any other digital mediums, and Pantone joins the bandwagon as it recently unveils the Color of the Year for 2023, Viva Magenta 18-1750, in Design Miami. The color is heavily inspired by artificial intelligence and the metaverse, the ever-continuing proliferation of new digital therapy for creative complexities.

Oozing with vim and vigor, the lush and seductive shade descending from the red family shows up as a signal of strength and domination of digital technology. Its hue flirts with joyous and optimistic entrance of a new generation, one that is defined by the chat-generated – like Midjourney – and text-to-image-powered present and future decades.

images courtesy of Pantone

Pantone’s Color of The Year for 2023, Viva Magenta 18-1750, taps into the dynamism between artificial intelligence and human creativity through the use of the metaverse. ‘The Magentaverse’ embodies a nuanced crimson red tone that displays a harmonious mix between warm and cool, a hybrid color that can ease in out the physical and virtual and leave viewers with an evocative feeling of the multi-dimensional realm.

As Pantone likes to put it, Viva Magenta of ‘The Magentaverse’ is assertive but not aggressive. ‘ It is a carmine red that does not boldly dominate but instead takes a fist-in-a-velvet glove approach. Exuding dynamism, PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta is a transformative red tone capable of driving design to create a more positive future,’ the team writes.

Motorola Edge 30 Fusion in Viva Magenta

Inspired by the red of cochineal

Leatrice Eiseman, the Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute, comments that people look to draw inspiration from nature and what is real in this age of technology. ‘PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta descends from the red family, and is inspired by the red of cochineal, one of the most precious dyes belonging to the natural dye family as well as one of the strongest and brightest the world has known,’ she writes.

She adds that PANTONE 18-1750 is rooted in primordial, reconnecting people to original matter while invoking the forces of nature people seem to have swept under the rug. ‘PANTONE 18-1750 Viva Magenta galvanizes our spirit, helping us to build our inner strength,’ she shares.

Viva Magenta, Pantone color of the year 2023

Viva Magenta, Pantone color of the year 2023

official sneaker

project info:

name: Viva Magenta, Color of the Year 2023

company: Pantone

The post enter the magentaverse: pantone unveils ‘viva magenta’ as color of the year 2023 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

‘as we move into a world of unprecedented change, the selection of pantone 17-3938 very peri brings a novel perspective and vision of the trusted and beloved blue color family,’ says leatrice eiseman, executive director, pantone color institute. ‘encompassing the qualities of the blues, yet at the same time possessing a violet-red undertone, pantone 17-3938 very peri displays a spritely, joyous attitude and dynamic presence that encourages courageous creativity and imaginative expression.’

following thoughtful consideration and trend analysis, pantone states that very peri is a symbol of our current times and the transitions we are going through. the color displays a carefree confidence and a daring curiosity that aims to inspire our creative spirit and embrace this altered landscape of possibilities. overall, the pantone color of the year 2022 showcases the fusion of modern life and how color trends in the digital world are being manifested in the physical world and vice versa.

‘the pantone color of the year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer,’ added laurie pressman, vice president of the pantone color institute. ‘creating a new color for the first time in the history of our pantone color of the year educational color program reflects the global innovation and transformation taking place. as society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication and as a way to express and affect ideas and emotions and engage and connect, the complexity of this new red-violet-infused blue hue highlights the expansive possibilities that lie before us.’

overall, very peri is a color that pantone thinks will give us hope as we’re about to enter another unpredictable year.

project info:

name: pantone color of the year 2022

color: very peri

The post pantone introduces very peri as the color of the year 2022 appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

illuminating is a cheerful yellow with vivacity, a warming shade imbued with solar power, while ultimate gray is emblematic of solid and dependable elements, which provide a firm foundation. ‘the selection of two independent colors highlight how different elements come together to express a message of strength and hopefulness that is both enduring and uplifting, conveying the idea that it’s not about one color or one person, it’s about more than one,’ said leatrice eiseman, executive director of the pantone color institute. ‘the union of an enduring ultimate gray with the vibrant yellow illuminating expresses a message of positivity supported by fortitude. practical and rock solid but at the same time warming and optimistic, this is a color combination that gives us resilience and hope. we need to feel encouraged and uplifted, this is essential to the human spirit.’

‘the pantone color of the year reflects what is taking place in our global culture, expressing what people are looking for that color can hope to answer,’ pressman added. ‘as society continues to recognize color as a critical form of communication, and a way to symbolize thoughts and ideas, many designers and brands are embracing the language of color to engage and connect.’

each color of the year selection process requires thoughtful consideration and trend analysis. pantone’s color experts comb the world seeking new influences from a variety of sources, including the entertainment industry, films in production, art collections, fashion, all areas of design, travel destinations, as well as lifestyles, and socio-economic conditions. for 22 years, pantone’s color of the year has influenced product development and purchasing decisions in multiple industries, including home furnishings, industrial design, product packaging and graphic design.

this year, pantone imagines that the use of illuminating or ultimate gray does not have to be in equal proportions — rather one can take precedence in the design of apparel, beauty, home furnishings, product design or packaging. illuminating punctuated by a touch of ultimate gray can convey a message of sunshine and strength, while enduring ultimate gray can provide a great starting point, with illuminating bringing in some brightness.

in the design of home decor, the two tones provide a great combination to set the mood in any room, adding a dose of positivity. juxtaposing illuminating with ultimate gray in table linens, pillows and tabletop accessories infuses vitality and liveliness. painting a front door in bright yellow illuminating conveys a warm and welcoming message when supported by solid and dependable ultimate gray in the exterior finishes.

reception to the pairing of ‘ultimate gray’ and ‘illuminating’ as color of the year has been mixed, with vogue describing the choice as ‘really weird’, and the guardian commenting on how the colors ‘spark park hope and despair’ after the rigors of 2020.

see previous pantone projects and colors of the year on designboom here, including the 2020 selection, ‘classic blue’.

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images courtesy of pantone

developed by pantone, the card makes matching an inspirational color to pantone as easy as taking a photo — at accuracy levels approaching more expensive color-reading devices. to make it work work, you have to download the pantone connect mobile app (available for both iOS and android) to capture color, research for the best match, and save the color to a palette for designing later in the pantone connect extension for adobe creative cloud.

the laminated paper-board card material is both lightweight and durable and comes with a protective sleeve. to use it, just select the measure option on the app, place the card flat on the solid color, and align the phone over the card at an angle. the app will then give you several options to match the color. for best results, try to have good lighting conditions with minimal overhead glare.

project info:

name: color match card 

by: pantone

buy: here

The post the pantone color match card and app lets you match a color in 25 seconds appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

while collaborating with aspire doors, head designer at boom online, pete bingham discovered that the simpson’s living room plays host to every single one of the pantone color of the year winners from 2010 to 2019. as a result of this discovery, pete set about recreating this well-loved and iconic setting in photoshop using the winning colors. since this discovery, the pantone color of the year for 2020 has also been released – ‘classic blue’. and who should have the most noteworthy blue hair on tv?.. you’ve guessed it, marge simpson.

all images courtesy of aspire doors

could it be pure coincidence or did the simpsons really predict the pantone color of the year ten years in or row because matt groening is in fact, a time traveller?.. or perhaps pantone looked to the show for inspiration? who knows, but you can bet aspire doors and pete bingham will be waiting with bated breath for 2021’s chosen color.

project info:

project name: the simpsons: inspired by the pantone color of the year (…or vice versa?)

by: aspire doors

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynne myers | designboom

The post did the simpsons predict every pantone color of the year from 2010 to 2020? appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.

images courtesy of pantone

announced 4 december, the annual color is chosen based on ‘what is taking place in our global culture at a moment in time’. it follows this year’s color ‘living coral’, a vibrant shade ‘symbolizing our innate need for optimism and joyful pursuits’ whilst being a representative color of the current climate crisis, according to the company.

‘a boundless blue evocative of the vast and infinite evening sky, pantone 19-4052 classic blue encourages us to look beyond the obvious to expand our thinking; challenging us to think more deeply, increase our perspective and open the flow of communication,’ said leatrice eiseman, executive director of pantone color institute.

‘we are living in a time that requires trust and faith,’ she added. ‘it is this kind of constancy and confidence that is expressed by pantone 19-4052 classic blue, a solid and dependable blue hue we can always rely on.’

upon a backdrop of racing development in technology, classic blue was chosen for its association with honesty and clarity. said to aid concentration the soothing shade works as a reflective tone that re-centers our thoughts.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by PANTONE (@pantone) on Dec 4, 2019 at 4:28pm PST

in a bid to reach a greater diversity of people, pantone says it has translated the hue into a multi-sensory experience. it plans to use sight, sound, smell, taste, and texture to make the color of the year for 2020 an immersive color experience for all.

since 2000, pantone has chosen a color of the year decided from trend-forecasting research performed by the pantone color institute. other annual colors include marsala in 2015, rose quartz and serenity in 2016, greenery in 2017, and ultraviolet in 2018

The post pantone announces ‘classic blue’ as 2020 color of the year appeared first on designboom | architecture & design magazine.