🔗 Share this article

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

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-evaluating the value of introspection".

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

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and reflects a widespread desire to slow down, reset and seek peace after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "insensitive", suggesting that elevating minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Others argue that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably during continuing societal conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Soothing or Stark?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, influenced by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "wealth, order and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that impartiality equals virtue".

Beaumont points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of desolation", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to emit hospital vibes."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 feels deliberate and adaptable".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a significant trend indicator.

Previous selections have featured the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "growing trend 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.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to concentrate on form, proportion and craftsmanship, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she adds that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert concedes the choice at first shocked her, given Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury