🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and longing for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has designated a shade of white as its flagship hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of introspection".

It marks the first time a pure white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared urge to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably within ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a turning point in how people interact with their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, stating that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"What looks serene in a professional photo can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should elicit happiness and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly 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 evolved into a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

Contrary 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 peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, 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 a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise 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 reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury