🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

It signifies the initial instance 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 "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a collective desire to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", suggesting that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Some observers argue that framing white as aspirational carries subtext related to race, causing discomfort amid current societal conversations about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, noting that white holds deeper meanings and is seldom a neutral choice.

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

He clarifies that white is "not about inspiration but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that neutrality equals virtue".

The designer references the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, sanctuaries and sources of stability," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Rather than providing calm, he believes white now threatens to heightening "a sense of bleakness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to emit a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase personality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

Beginning in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful trend indicator.

Previous selections have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may appear simple, "this specific hue seems gentle and elegant 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 serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection 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 benefits, noting that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and wearers alike to concentrate on shape, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around body confidence, way of life and advantage, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones associated with celebrating white as an ideal, especially amid ongoing discussions about representation and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that complexity honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury