🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time renting, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and dreaming of injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might be perceived as a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "elevated" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of tranquility in a society re-evaluating the worth of stillness".

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

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and embodies a widespread yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of visual overload.

But some detractors have dubbed the decision as "out of touch", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel far removed from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as an ideal carries subtext related to race, creating unease during current societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, influenced by a decade of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, noting that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Rather than providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of bleakness", especially when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

Lara Clark, a Surrey based interior designer, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

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

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

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

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "unabashed dopamine décor", using colour to showcase personality.

A representative 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 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 optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, interiors, product wrapping and even technology, influencing how products are marketed 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 feels gentle and elegant rather than stark".

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

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

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's pick this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", 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 particularly well as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, 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 accustomed to vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb 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 those who wear it alike to concentrate on form, scale and craftsmanship, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "If white is treated as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid continuing conversations about inclusion and accessibility, and the true challenge will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Stylist Another expert admits the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a broader sentiment of "quiet luxury