🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

This year, the influential color company has chosen white as its annual hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a state of being" and embodies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Some observers propose that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, causing discomfort within ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous 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 "wealth, order and distance from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality denotes goodness".

The designer cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Overnight they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

Although 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 easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

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

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally 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 merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury