🔗 Share this article

For those who has spent years renting, staring at the same standard-issue 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 influential color company has designated a shade of white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white described as "elevated" and "airy" which "serves as a symbol of calming influence in a society re-learning the value of quiet reflection".

It marks the initial instance a pure 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 philosophy" and embodies a shared urge to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some commentators have dubbed the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating sparse and immaculate white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes the majority occupy.

Others propose that positioning white as aspirational carries racial undertones, causing discomfort during current societal discussions about inclusion and diversity.

Clinical or Calm?

Interior expert One design critic says the criticism goes beyond aesthetics, stating that white carries societal connotations and is rarely a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of sparse star homes – most famously Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to represent "wealth, control and distance from disorder".

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, virtuous simplicity and the notion that impartiality denotes goodness".

The designer points to the pandemic as a pivotal moment in how people interact with their homes.

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

Rather than offering calm, he contends white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", particularly when combined with cool, clinical lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

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

While it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says bright whites seldom create calm in real homes.

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

"White can feel harsh and demanding and you don't want your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She continues that "living spaces should spark joy and feel inviting and lived-in, and this hue seems quite distant from that."

Beaumont expresses a desire that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in favour of "full-scale dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to showcase personality.

A representative 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 sophisticated impartiality that feels deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of a bold pink-red, and most recently softer, feeling-based tones like Peach Fuzz.

These hues don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, packaging and even technology, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

Victoria Robinson, says Cloud Dancer is a "elegant choice" and while it may seem simple, "this specific hue seems soft and elegant rather than stark".

Contrary to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and living areas where you want a serene, calming atmosphere".

"Even if you prefer not to redecorate, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Design expert Another professional says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted but it's not a top choice".

He can see its benefits, explaining that white can work especially effectively as a backdrop for architectural details like panelling and curved entries which is a "growing trend in modern homes".

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

Fashion consultant A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a movement towards sophistication after years of trend overloads.

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

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, way of life and privilege, saying: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes divisive."

She says the industry is already aware of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, especially amid continuing conversations about representation and accessibility, and the real test will be whether "companies address that complexity authentically, or simply aestheticise the colour".

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice at first surprised her, considering Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury