🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent a long time living in rental properties, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and yearning for adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's new Colour of the Year might feel like a disappointing choice.

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

More specifically, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of quiet reflection".

It represents the first time white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has sparked considerable debate.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and signifies a shared desire to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of sensory saturation.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "Pantonedeaf", suggesting that promoting minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem far removed from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Additional critics argue that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort during continuing political and cultural discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the counter-reaction transcends aesthetics, arguing that white holds cultural undertones and is rarely a neutral choice.

"The color white sends a message," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "wealth, control and removal from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer personifying "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the idea that neutrality signifies goodness".

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

"Suddenly they became our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, stating that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather disconnected".

Instead of providing calm, he believes white now threatens to intensifying "a feeling of desolation", particularly when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Hospital Vibes'

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

While it may work in highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in real homes.

"An image of tranquility in a professional photo can readily feel clinical at home," she clarifies.

"White can feel harsh and unforgiving and you don't want your home to emit clinical feelings."

She adds that "homes should elicit happiness and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue feels quite distant from that."

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

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 deliberate and versatile".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like a soft peach.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they appear in clothing lines, beauty launches, interiors, packaging and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the year ahead.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem basic, "this particular shade seems gentle and elegant rather than severe".

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

"Should you prefer not to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and drapes."

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the absence of colour", it is a bit like a basic flavor, 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 background for architectural details like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says championing white feels "not focused on newness and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also holds presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and advantage, stating: "When white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already aware of the problematic connotations associated with lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially amid ongoing conversations about representation and approachability, and the real test will be whether "companies engage with that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Another expert concedes the choice initially surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and fits within a wider mood of "quiet luxury