🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might feel like a personal attack.

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its flagship hue.

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

It marks the initial instance white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread desire to decelerate, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that championing sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, lived-in homes everyday individuals inhabit.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid ongoing societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and distance from chaos".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to amplifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to express personality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "have varied interpretations" to the significance of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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 a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

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

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade feels gentle and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally 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, noting that white can work particularly well as a background for design features like wall molding and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury