🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved beige walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

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

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

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem disconnected from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease within current political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, noting that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality signifies virtue".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now threatens to amplifying "a sense of desolation", especially when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit hospital vibes."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite removed from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems 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 "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you don't want to repaint, you can introduce the colour into a room with pillows, throws and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback 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 nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries 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 poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

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

But she adds that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing discussions about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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