🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue beige walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a personal attack.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It signifies the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a shared urge to decelerate, recalibrate and seek peace after years of sensory saturation.

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

Additional critics contend that framing white as aspirational introduces racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white holds cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that neutrality equals goodness".

Beaumont cites the pandemic as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

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

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a Surrey based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

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

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented that people "bring different feelings" to the significance of the colour, but it was selected as it "integrates perfectly with everything around it, providing a sophisticated impartiality that seems intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, 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 appear simple, "this specific hue seems soft and refined rather than severe".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert Another professional says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in contemporary houses".

In fashion, 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 Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

"White forces designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

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

She says the industry is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to celebrating white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice initially surprised her, given Pantone's track record of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury