🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, staring at the same landlord-approved magnolia walls and dreaming of adding some actual personality to their home, Pantone's latest Colour of the Year might seem like a direct affront.

This time around, the renowned color company has designated 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 "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society rediscovering the importance of introspection".

It signifies the initial instance white has been picked as the Colour of the Year, and it has generated significant controversy.

Per Pantone, Cloud Dancer "represents more than a hue, it's a philosophy" and signifies a widespread yearning to slow down, reset and achieve serenity after years of visual overload.

But some critics have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", contending that elevating minimalist and immaculate white spaces can seem distant from the more compact, messier homes most people occupy.

Additional critics contend that framing white as an ideal risks subtext related to race, causing discomfort during ongoing political and cultural discussions about race and representation.

Soothing or Stark?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the backlash transcends surface appeal, noting that white bears cultural undertones and is seldom a innocuous choice.

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

He explains that white is "not about inspiration but taking care not to cause upset", with Cloud Dancer embodying "restraint, moral minimalism and the notion that neutrality equals goodness".

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

"Overnight they transformed into our offices, refuges and emotional anchors," he says, stating that in this context, directing the Colour of the Year towards "more visual emptiness feels rather tone-deaf".

Instead of offering calm, he believes white now risks amplifying "a feeling of bleakness", particularly when combined with harsh, sterile lighting.

'Sterile Sensations

An interior designer, a Surrey based design expert, concurs and says Cloud Dancer "doesn't really read as a colour" and is "firmly in the bin for me".

Although it may suit highly minimal or structural spaces, she says pure white shades seldom create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"The color white may seem harsh and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She continues that "living spaces should elicit happiness and be warm and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

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

The vice president of the Pantone Colour Institute stated that people "bring different feelings" to the meaning of the colour, but it was chosen as it "works seamlessly with everything around it, providing a refined neutrality that seems deliberate and adaptable".

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

Past choices have included the optimism of a vibrant pink-orange, the calm confidence of Classic Blue, the energy of a bold pink-red, and more recently softer, emotionally driven tones like a soft peach.

These colours don't just live on trend forecasts - they show up in clothing lines, beauty launches, home decor, product wrapping and even consumer electronics, shaping how products are marketed and how consumers imagine the coming year.

A style and trend expert, says Cloud Dancer is a "beautiful choice" and while it may seem simple, "this particular shade feels soft and refined rather than severe".

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

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

Design expert James Mellan-Matulewicz says although he was taken aback that Pantone's selection this year was "essentially the lack of pigment", it is a bit like vanilla ice cream, in that "it is universally accepted 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 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 unique test to designers more familiar with bold shades.

Luxury stylist Oriona Robb says championing white seems "less about novelty and more concerned with purpose", indicating a shift towards refinement after years of trend overloads.

"The color white compels designers and wearers alike to focus on shape, scale and quality, there's really no room for error," she clarifies.

But she continues that it also holds assumptions around self-image, lifestyle and advantage, saying: "If white is treated as something only a limited subset of people can wear well, it becomes exclusionary."

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

A Reflection of the Times

Style consultant Another expert admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's history of vibrant hues, but says it reflects a authentic change and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury