🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its flagship hue.

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

It signifies the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and embodies a collective urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Others argue that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies virtue".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

Although it may work in highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create 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 stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

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

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than stark".

Contrary 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 peaceful, restful ambiance".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz 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 "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and privilege, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury