🔗 Share this article

For many people who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a direct affront.

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

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

It marks the initial instance a pure white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a philosophy" and signifies a shared yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some critics have branded the decision as "out of touch", contending that elevating sparse and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics propose that positioning white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably during current societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the counter-reaction goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white carries societal connotations and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to epitomize "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "austerity, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality signifies goodness".

Beaumont cites the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Almost instantly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Instead of offering calm, he contends white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

Although it may suit extremely sparse or structural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to give hospital vibes."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and be inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

The critic expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "have varied interpretations" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a refined neutrality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Past choices have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may appear simple, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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 peaceful, calming ambiance".

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially 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, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for architectural details like wall molding and curved entries 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 poses a different challenge to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, proportion and quality, there's really no room for error," she explains.

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

She says the fashion world is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, particularly during ongoing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies address that nuance honestly, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

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