🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time renting, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

This time around, the renowned color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the value of stillness".

It signifies the initial instance a pure white has been picked 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 philosophy" and embodies a collective urge to slow down, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Some observers propose that positioning white as aspirational risks subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current societal dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

Beaumont points to the global health crisis as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-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 work in extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express personality.

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

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

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and drapes."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection 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 merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, 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 A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, particularly amid continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury