🔗 Share this article

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

This year, the renowned color company has selected white as its annual hue.

In detail, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white characterized as "lofty" and "billowy" which "functions as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of stillness".

It represents the initial instance a pure white has been chosen as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

As stated by Pantone, Cloud Dancer "is not just a colour, it's a state of being" and reflects a shared yearning to decelerate, reset and find calm after years of aesthetic chaos.

But some commentators have labelled the decision as "insensitive", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can feel far removed from the smaller, lived-in homes the majority occupy.

Others contend that framing white as an ideal introduces subtext related to race, landing uncomfortably amid current societal conversations about race and representation.

Clinical or Calm?

Designer One design critic says the criticism transcends surface appeal, stating that white holds societal connotations and is seldom a neutral choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a decade of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's austere home – that came to epitomize "wealth, control and removal from chaos".

He elaborates that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "restraint, moral minimalism and the idea that neutrality denotes goodness".

Beaumont references the global health crisis as a defining period in how people relate to their homes.

"Suddenly they became our offices, sanctuaries and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more aesthetic barrenness seems rather disconnected".

Rather than offering calm, he believes white now risks intensifying "a feeling of bleakness", especially when paired with harsh, sterile lighting.

'A Clinical Atmosphere

An interior designer, a UK-based design expert, agrees and says Cloud Dancer "is not perceived as a colour" and is "completely rejected for me".

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says pure white shades rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give a medical atmosphere."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and feel warm and lived-in, and this hue seems quite removed from that."

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

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 sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Previous selections have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of a deep blue, the vibrancy of Viva Magenta, and more recently more gentle, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours extend beyond trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, influencing how products are marketed and how consumers envision the year ahead.

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

Contrary to those who say the colour is boring, the expert sees it as "adaptable" and says it's best used in "sleeping quarters and communal spaces where you want a serene, calming ambiance".

"Should you don't want to repaint, you can incorporate the colour into a room with pillows, blankets and curtains."

Interior designer James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was surprised that Pantone's selection this year was "fundamentally the absence of colour", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "everyone likes it but it's not a top choice".

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

In fashion, white has long been a staple rather than a statement and as a Colour of the Year it poses a unique test to designers more accustomed to bold shades.

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a movement towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

"White forces 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 carries presumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, saying: "If white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can wear well, it becomes divisive."

She says the fashion world is already cognizant of the problematic connotations tied to lauding white as an aspirational standard, especially during continuing conversations about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands engage with that complexity authentically, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Societal Shift, Not a Fad

Stylist Katie Malik concedes the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury