🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, confronted by 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 disappointing choice.

This year, the influential color company has selected a shade of white as its premier hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been picked 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 mindset" and embodies a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that promoting sparse and pristine white spaces can feel disconnected from the smaller, messier homes everyday individuals occupy.

Some observers argue that positioning white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous 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 symbolize "wealth, order and removal from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality equals virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they became our offices, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a sense of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

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

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom foster calm in real homes.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this hue feels 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 vibrant hues to express individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has evolved into a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are sold and how consumers imagine the year ahead.

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

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", 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 particularly well as a background for design features like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a basic rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

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

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

But she continues that it also carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies 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 vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury