🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a collective urge to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority call home.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont references the pandemic as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks amplifying "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a styled shoot can easily feel sterile at home," she clarifies.

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

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

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear basic, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

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 "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury