🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has chosen a shade of white as its annual hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a collective urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Additional critics argue that framing white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort within continuing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the concept that neutrality signifies goodness".

The designer cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem clinical at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant trend indicator.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Even if you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury