🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent a long time living in rental properties, confronted by the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might be perceived as a direct affront.

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

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

It signifies the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has raised more than a few eyebrows.

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 achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that championing sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the smaller, messier homes most people inhabit.

Some observers argue that framing white as an ideal carries racial undertones, landing uncomfortably within current political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, stating that white holds deeper meanings and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to represent "affluence, order and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not intended to inspire but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes virtue".

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

"Almost instantly they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, adding that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather tone-deaf".

Instead of providing calm, he argues white now risks intensifying "a sense of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a Surrey based interior designer, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

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

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can easily seem sterile at home," she explains.

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

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

The critic hopes that homeowners will disregard the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "full-scale joyful interior design", using vibrant hues to showcase individuality.

A representative of the Pantone Colour Institute commented 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 seems deliberate and versatile".

Since its launch in 2000, Pantone's Colour of the Year has become a powerful industry signal.

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the serene assurance of Classic Blue, the energy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These colours extend beyond style predictions - they show up in fashion collections, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping 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 specific hue feels gentle and refined rather than stark".

In contrast to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and communal spaces where you want a peaceful, restful ambiance".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, throws and curtains."

Interior designer Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, in that "it is universally accepted but it's nobody's favourite".

He can see its merits, noting that white can work especially effectively as a background for design features like panelling and curved entries which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

In apparel, white has long been a staple rather than a bold declaration and as a Colour of the Year it presents a different challenge to designers more familiar with vibrant colors.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says elevating white seems "not focused on newness and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards sophistication after years of fad saturation.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on form, proportion and quality, there's really nowhere to hide," she explains.

But she continues that it also carries assumptions 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 divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones associated with lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, considering Pantone's history of bold colours, but says it mirrors a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury