🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a symbol of tranquility in a society re-learning the worth of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Others argue that presenting white as aspirational risks racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

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

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can readily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch 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 a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

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

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate 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 lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a bold declaration 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 elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, way of life and advantage, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion 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

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury