🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same standard-issue magnolia walls and yearning for injecting personal style to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of stillness".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

According to Pantone, Cloud Dancer "transcends mere pigment, it's a state of being" and signifies a collective yearning to slow down, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that championing minimalist and pristine white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others contend that positioning white as an ideal risks racial undertones, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural dialogues about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer Chris Beaumont says the backlash goes beyond aesthetics, arguing that white bears deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and removal from chaos".

He explains that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that impartiality signifies virtue".

The designer references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people interact with their homes.

"Almost instantly they became our workspaces, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that against this backdrop, pushing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness seems rather out of step".

Instead of providing calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a feeling of emptiness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

Lara Clark, a UK-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 rarely foster calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem stark and demanding and you don't want your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "homes should spark joy and be warm and welcoming, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale joyful interior design", using colour to showcase individuality.

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated 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 refined neutrality that feels intentional and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the hopefulness of a vibrant pink-orange, the serene assurance of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on style predictions - they appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, packaging 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 "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, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

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

Design expert Another professional 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 benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways 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 presents a different challenge to designers more accustomed to vibrant colors.

Fashion consultant Oriona Robb says championing white seems "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

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

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

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to celebrating white as an ideal, especially during continuing discussions about inclusion and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik concedes the choice at first shocked her, considering Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury