🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and longing for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a personal attack.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "serves as a emblem of tranquility in a society rediscovering the value of quiet reflection".

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

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a mindset" and embodies a widespread yearning to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort within continuing societal dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends surface appeal, noting that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality equals goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a defining period in how people perceive their homes.

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, 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".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may suit highly minimal or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely foster calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a styled shoot can easily seem clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue feels quite removed from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale 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, providing a refined neutrality that seems intentional and adaptable".

Beginning 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 vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, packaging and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed 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 particular shade feels soft and refined rather than severe".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and arched doorways which is a "rising style in modern homes".

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a unique test to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant A styling expert says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the real test will be whether "brands address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant 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 wider mood of "quiet luxury