🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of tranquility in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been honored as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and embodies a shared desire to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", arguing that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes most people call home.

Additional critics argue that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, creating unease during current political and cultural conversations about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries cultural undertones and is rarely a innocuous choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality signifies virtue".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a turning point in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness feels rather out of step".

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

'Hospital Vibes'

An interior designer, a Surrey 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 real homes.

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

"White can feel stark and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" 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 adaptable".

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

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

In contrast 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, restful ambiance".

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

Design expert 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 "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, 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 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 focus on shape, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with celebrating white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about representation and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury