🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and reflects a widespread yearning to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", particularly 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 "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can readily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury