🔗 Share this article

For anyone who has spent years renting, 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 seem like a personal attack.

This time around, the influential color company has selected white as its premier hue.

To be precise, the shade is called Cloud Dancer – a white touted as "lofty" and "billowy" which "acts as a emblem of calming influence in a society re-learning the importance of introspection".

It represents the first time white has been honored 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 embodies a widespread urge to slow down, recalibrate and achieve serenity after years of sensory saturation.

But some detractors have branded the decision as "Pantonedeaf", arguing that promoting minimalist and pristine white spaces can feel distant from the more compact, messier homes most people inhabit.

Additional critics contend that positioning white as aspirational risks racial undertones, creating unease amid ongoing political and cultural dialogues about inclusion and diversity.

Sterile or Serene?

Interior expert Chris Beaumont says the criticism goes beyond surface appeal, arguing that white carries deeper meanings and is seldom a innocuous choice.

"White is a signal," he says, shaped by a ten-year period of minimalist celebrity interiors – most notably Kim Kardashian's stripped-back home – that came to symbolize "affluence, control and distance from disorder".

He clarifies that white is "not intended to inspire but being careful not to offend", with Cloud Dancer representing "austerity, virtuous simplicity and the concept that impartiality denotes goodness".

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

"Suddenly they transformed into our workspaces, refuges and sources of stability," he says, adding that against this backdrop, directing the Colour of the Year towards "further aesthetic barrenness seems rather out of step".

Rather than offering calm, he argues white now risks heightening "a sense of emptiness", especially when paired with cool, clinical 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".

While it may work in extremely sparse or architectural spaces, she says bright whites rarely create calm in everyday living spaces.

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

"White can feel stark and demanding and you wouldn't wish your home to give clinical feelings."

She adds that "living spaces should spark joy and be inviting and welcoming, and this shade feels quite distant from that."

Beaumont hopes that homeowners will reject the Pantone Colour of the Year in preference for "unabashed dopamine décor", using vibrant hues to express individuality.

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 "works seamlessly with everything around it, offering a sophisticated impartiality that seems deliberate and versatile".

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

Past choices have featured the hopefulness of Living Coral, the calm confidence 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 appear in fashion collections, cosmetic products, home decor, product wrapping and even technology, shaping how products are sold and how consumers envision the coming year.

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

In contrast to those who say the colour is dull, Robinson sees it as "flexible" and says it's best used in "bedrooms and living areas where you want a serene, restful ambiance".

"Should you don't want to redecorate, you can introduce the colour into a room with cushions, blankets and curtains."

Design expert 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 not a top choice".

He can see its merits, explaining that white can work particularly well as a backdrop for design features like wall molding and arched doorways which is a "rising style in contemporary houses".

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

Luxury stylist A styling expert says elevating white feels "less about novelty and more about intention", reflecting a shift towards refinement after years of fad saturation.

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

But she adds that it also holds assumptions around body confidence, lifestyle and privilege, stating: "When white is viewed as something only a narrow group of people can pull off, it becomes exclusionary."

She says the industry is already cognizant of the uncomfortable undertones tied to lauding white as an ideal, particularly amid ongoing discussions about inclusion and approachability, and the true challenge will be whether "brands address that nuance honestly, or simply glamorize the colour".

A Cultural Mood, Not a Trend

Style consultant Katie Malik admits the choice initially shocked her, given Pantone's track record of vibrant hues, but says it mirrors a genuine shift and aligns with a wider mood of "quiet luxury