🔗 Share this article

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

This time around, the influential color company has designated white as its flagship hue.

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "airy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the worth of quiet reflection".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, messier homes most people call home.

Additional critics contend that framing white as aspirational risks racial undertones, creating unease during continuing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism transcends aesthetics, stating that white carries deeper meanings and is rarely a neutral choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our offices, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now threatens to heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when paired with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-based design expert, concurs 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.

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

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

She continues that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this shade seems quite distant from that."

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

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

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a significant industry signal.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping 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 "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this specific hue feels soft and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert 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 vanilla ice cream, 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 backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries which is a "rising style in modern homes".

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

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

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury