🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the worth of quiet reflection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a mindset" and signifies a widespread desire to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority occupy.

Some observers propose that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid ongoing societal discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, stating that white carries cultural undertones 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 austere home – that came to represent "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

Lara Clark, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express personality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness 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 don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise 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 aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury