🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the worth of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that championing minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes the majority inhabit.

Additional critics argue that framing white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within ongoing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends surface appeal, noting that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "affluence, control and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey 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 structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

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

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

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

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", 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 explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Another expert admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury