🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved beige walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

It marks the initial instance white has been picked 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 reflects a shared urge to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", arguing that promoting sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, messier homes most people call home.

Some observers contend that presenting white as aspirational introduces subtext related to race, creating unease amid current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, noting that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs 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 rarely create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily feel clinical at home," she explains.

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, 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 vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

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

"Even if you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop 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 statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert 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 concentrate on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed 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 associated with celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury